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◂ FAMILY HEALTH
Here’s
a term you may hear more often in the coming
months:
medical home
.
Think of it as a neighborhood of people who are your health
care team. In the center of this figurative neighborhood is you.
A few streets over, perhaps, are your hospital and your diabetes
educator. Nearby is the surgeon who repaired your broken arm.
And right next door to you is your primary care provider
(PCP) — the block captain of your health care.
The medical home is a new concept in health care with the
goals of improving care, reducing costs, and emphasizing the
role of the PCP.
“Our country’s current health care system is very fragmented,
and most primary care physicians do not have the resources
necessary to adequately follow a patient through the maze
of health care,” says Gary Sackrison, MD, an independently
practicing family medicine physician on the medical staff at
Methodist Richardson Medical Center. “The medical home
model recognizes that the coordination and follow-up of care
outside the office has a tremendous value at improving patient
care and reducing costs.”
How a medical home works
In a medical home, your PCP coordinates whatever care
you need. That includes finding you the right specialists,
following up after surgical procedures, arranging the proper
preventive screenings, and keeping track of all test results.
All of this coordination can save you time and money. For
example, if you had a skin rash and allergies and needed
a Pap test, you could see a dermatologist, an allergist,
and a gynecologist. But your PCP can handle all of
that in one visit, costing you far less than visiting all
three specialists.
The medical home model also gives physicians more
resources, such as electronic medical records.
“As a result, patient information is better communicated
between health care providers, which can result in fewer
medication errors, less duplication of tests, and better
follow-up,” Dr. Sackrison says.
Methodist as your medical home
Last summer, Methodist Health System invited its employees
to start receiving care from Methodist providers in a patient-
centered medical home. And in the near future, Methodist
plans to extend this model to all patients served at its Family
Health Centers and Medical Groups.
“I think medical homes will be very beneficial to patients,”
Dr. Sackrison says. “This model of care may help primary care
doctors spend more time with patients and better equip them
to provide comprehensive care. Ultimately, it will help patients
be healthier.”
In the meantime, he encourages all patients to be actively
involved in their care. “Patients who ask questions and are
engaged in their health care will ultimately be healthier,”
he says.
To find a primary care provider to be your medical home block
captain, call
972-4 DR LINE
(
972-437-5463
).
Additional sources: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; American College of Physicians
Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health
Systemmedical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist
HealthSystem.
Methodist Family Health Centers are owned and operated by MedHealth and are staffed by
independently practicing physicians who are employees of MedHealth. The physicians and staff
who provide services at these sites are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System.
Medical homes: A new way of receiving care
info
Methodist Richardson Medical Center
•
❁
Winter 2011 – 2012
7