L–R: Emily Sundeen, FNP, Syed Hamid, M.D., Brandi Isham, FNP.
In order to help improve the transition for patients from a hospital setting to the care of outpatient providers, the Hunt Regional Medical Center opened a new transitional clinic in January on the second floor of their hospital campus in Greenville. Because Texas currently rates second in hospital readmission rates, the new clinic will help patients who do not understand how to manage their condition at home, or fail to follow-up with a primary care physician, as well as increasing communication with patients after they return home. “Our goal with all new initiatives is to improve the quality of care our patients receive,” clinic provider Emily Sundeen, FNP. said. “We want to make sure that our patients are improving when they leave the hospital.”
Patients who are scheduled to be seen at the clinic will be able to discuss prescription medications and side effects as well as follow up on outstanding diagnostic testing, schedule appointments with a community primary care provider, and receive their discharge summary and test results.The clinic is led by Syed Hamid, M.D., with Emily Sundeen and Brandi Isham, FNP also serving as providers. “The Hunt Regional Transitional Care Clinic is designed to make it easier for patients to continue recovering at home and prevent the need for readmission,” Isham said.
Hunt Regional already uses a combination of methods to reduce readmission rates, such as the ‘Vocera Good To Go’ communication system, which allows providers to record their personalized discharge instructions for patients who in turn can place a free call at any time to listen and receive assistance. These efforts have helped 30% of patients who understand post-hospital care become less likely to be readmitted.
The clinic will be open Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Patients who are assessed at a moderate to high risk of readmission will automatically be scheduled with the transitional care clinic prior to hospital discharge.
