The Longstreet Clinics - History, Workforce, Systems Integration, and Operations Mechanisms - Research Paper Example

The Longstreet Case Study Affiliation In the recent past, the health care systems have shown rampant improvement in the practice and expansion in health care services provision. Most health organization is also diversifying their services to attract a great number of clients. The essay seeks to analyze Longstreet Clinics and their operations mechanisms. The essay will also discuss another aspect related to the clinics such as workforce information, services on offer, materials management and their emergency plan among others. Keywords: Quality health care Multidisciplinary team Systems Integration Goals accomplishment The Longstreet Clinics History of Longstreet Clinics (TLC) The Longstreet Clinics (TLC) has been a giant in provision of quality health care for over 19 years, since its inception. Currently, it remains one of the most-advanced multi-specialty facility in Georgia. In addition, top that, the clinics ranks among the best-top physician group practitioners, as reflected in Atlanta Business Chronicles annual books. TLC set on its operations in 1994, with the merging of a few physicians, who negotiated and reached into an agreement of coming up with a multispecialty clinic that would simply focus on the provision of quality health care to the community. The partnership also came up as a way of cost reduction while maintaining continuous contact with the clients. The first president in TLC, John Browning, puts it “the purpose was to deliver more efficient and higher quality medical care in a changing environment.” His words are correct. In the recent past, health care systems have undergone a revolution. The societal needs are changing day by day, necessitating the need to have specialized care inn variety of cadres. TLC formation came at the appropriate time and did match the needs of the society. Additionally, most clients desire an area where they can meet a team of specialized professionals who will aid and counsel them, answering every bit of their pleas to their satisfaction. TLC did adopt such a system, incorporating major specialists in their fraternity. TLC came into being after the merging of specialists in Obstetrics-Gynecology and Pediatrics. By 1995, eight other single specialty practices had made an offer to join TLC. The specialists could hence work as a team, assisting the client in diagnosis, management and health education. The patient became the central focus. The specialists did operate in different places to reach out to more people; however, the central administrative location was in Wishbone, Fried Chicken Location. With the increase in the demand of services from their clients and desire to increase the accessibility and availability, they did opt to move to Jesse Jewell Parkway, hence bringing several specialties under one roof. In the recent past, the number of offices has spread widely across Georgia. At least there are offices in Oakwood, Dacula, Demorest, Baldwin, Buford, Dahlonega, Braselton and Toccoa. Currently, the chain of clinics boasts of having more than 600 employees, 160 physicians, and other specialized health care team members representing over 16 different specialization areas. Others professionals forming part of a multidisciplinary team includes nurses practitioners, certified nurse’s midwives and assistants physicians. Despite starting small, the vision of the team that came up with the idea has flourished and actualized. The concept of centralization of services has proved beneficial to the group. Systems Integration In healthcare, systems integration entails bringing together several similar services under one roof for the ease of accessibility and availability to the target clients. In TLC, all the services provided are interlinked into a database. The client’s information is also available online and can be accessed by any physician from any office. The state of art information systems can be accessed even in very remote areas. Clients can pay their bills online at the click of the computer. It is easier to manage all the clinical data. According to TLC management team, utilization of systems integration has been successful and has provided cheap access to information. It has been a quick method of managing their clients’ data, and it becomes easy to follow them up, even when they give them a return date. The quality of communication and safety remains high. The clients can access all the services offered from the website. All the services are focused on the client and aims to meet their needs on time. TLC has also put into consideration the aspect of geographic coverage, hence extending their branches to eight different cities in Georgia. TLC was named as the facility with the best Electronic Medical Records in the state of Georgia. TLC management team also did report that continuous monitoring and evaluation of services offered has been of utmost importance in ensuring that quality remains a priority. All the protocols and procedures are checked, and necessary improvements made. Workforce information TLC utilizes the multidisciplinary teamwork method in delivery of its services to the clients. They do value the fact that every person has a contribution to make for the success of the firm. Jullie G. King is the director in charge of Human resources and Community development. She oversees the over six hundred employees in the group. The team comprising of nurses, midwives and physicians are fully devoted to the provision of highest standards of health care services, to the satisfaction of the community they serve. Their services are cost effective and affordable to many. TLC has highly qualified physicians, certified and with diverse specialties. Their completion in fellowship training is enough to assure you that they have the best skills to provide quality care. The Nurse Practitioners have fully gone through their graduate education. They are also licensed and certified by the national nurses’ board. The nurses are specialists in the provision of the best quality nursing care in their subspecialties. Certified Nursed Midwives have received in-depth education in both general nursing and midwifery. Prior to practice, they undergo through a comprehensive practical session and sitting exam. The ten Certified Nurse Midwives who offer services in TLC are holders of Master’s Degree. They collaborate with the obstetricians and gynecologists for the sake of the provision of quality Medicare care to women. They do consult each other in decision-making processes. The physician assistants have received thorough training in medical care to provide primary care services, curative services, preventive services, health education, and prescribe medications. Services offered TLC is committed to the provision of quality services to its clients. The health care team always undergoes continuous medical education to ensure that they are updated with the current management of various conditions. Their continuous quality services provision has made them remain a facility of excellence, receiving outstanding awards from various national organizations. It has received various awards with reference to diabetes, hearts stroke, cancer care and top Physician Group Award. The services on offer include internal medicine, family practice, oncology, obstetrics and gynecology, neonatology, vascular and vein specialty, psychiatry, perinatology, neurosurgery, bariatric surgery, general surgery, pediatrics, sports medicine, hematology and neurology. The Longstreet Clinic also does the investigations procedures such as mammogram, laboratory investigations, Medical Imaging investigations, and occupational therapy and weight loss services. They also have centers for workers compensation, prevention care, diabetic education, nutritional therapy, anesthetic services center and pharmacy unit. They also offer rehabilitative and palliative care services for the clients with chronic conditions or end-stage disease. In the provision of services, TLC does adhere to the principles of ethics to the clients. They do operate under guidance of their values. These values include respect, honesty, accountability, candor, teamwork, fairness, innovation, trust, and community commitment. TLC is also involved in community work. They extend their hand to the less privileged through sponsoring a few programs. Some of the sponsors they have presented to the community include March for Babies, Relay for Life, Health Smart, and Women Source among others. Technology utilized and facility design The facility does utilize the latest technology in diagnostic procedures and laboratory investigations. Additionally, the electronic system is utilized in maintenance of the client’s data. When it comes to payment modes, the facility utilizes the online mode of payment. There exists a system whereby the client can communicate with the physician or nurse practitioner via the internet. Moreover, the facility also has embraced the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter in communication and relaying information. In essence, the facility has adopted the latest technological advances in both communication and diagnostic processes. Emergency plan TLC emergency department has a well-articulated plan and framework whose purpose is to help the clients and communities within the area of jurisdiction to halt down any vulnerability to environmental hazards and disasters, which may occur. The most-common natural disasters in Georgia are fire, drought, thunderstorms and floods. Weather extremes are an issue a health facility should be ready to cope up with should they occur. The framework undergoes monitoring and evaluation every six months, for the sake of ensuring that it remains well updated with the technological advances and other emerging issues. It builds and sustains the ability to mitigate, respond, and recover from actual or threatened disasters and terrorism acts. The emergency plan is comprehensive, taking into account all the disasters likely to occur, and the specific measures and responses in case of such disasters. The plan is also progressive, risk-driven, and collaborates with other multi-sectorial departments (Sprung, Cohen, & Adini, 2010). The hospital has put in place various measures to combat such expectations. The number of staffs available in any one shift can handle a sudden increase in a number of clients. Additionally, 99.9% of health care workers did demonstrate willingness to work extra hours should a disaster arise. The pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical materials are available in excess in the central store in every clinic branch. The surveillance team is also in constant monitoring of any disaster likely to arise. Each center has several ambulances should a referral need arise. Ambulatory care services Ambulatory care services refer to the chronic conditions, whose complications can be prevented through active management such as vaccination, disease management, case management, vaccinations, and self-management and lifestyle interventions. Conditions that can be prevented using such mechanisms include epilepsy, hypertension, diabetes, asthma or congestive heart failure (T. et al., 2013). The admissions are expensive, but such costs are preventable. The facility has adopted the mechanisms to look into the preventable mechanisms of ambulatory care. The facility has also adopted disease management protocols, telephone health coaching, and early identification of disease conditions. Once the program is in full implementation, there will be the promotion of wellness and independence in the community. Emergency admissions in the hospital will reduce drastically (Caminal, Starfield, Sánchez, Casanova, & Morales, 2004). Materials management Longstreet Clinics management team has a desire to ensure that all the staffs and facility had adequate materials, both consumables and pharmaceuticals for the ideal flow of work. With reference to that, the Supply-Chain Management Department plays a role in ordering for the facilities and products that are almost out of stock (Art, 2010). The procurement method is open for any person or company who may be willing to supply any commodity. All the willing suppliers are treated equally. All the facility staffs are also trained on the hospital economy, to minimize wastage of the materials even as they deliver quality care. They should only utilize the materials when necessary. The policy applies mainly to the consumable goods. Patient safety data The electronic systems ensure that all the history details of the client are safe from the first admission. Every client is given an outpatient number, which he will have to use when he is still accessing any medical services from the facility. The software has a backup that can retrieve the information should the system collapse. Only a health care team can access the client’s data, hence privacy is assured. Patient’s data has to be confirmed before entry in the databases. Insurance and institution accreditation Several insurance firms have accredited the clients to use the facility. These insurance firms include Medicare, Medicaid, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and Preach Care for Kids. The client’s bills and expenses are analyzed monthly via electronic means. The Joint Commission Authority has also evaluated the facility of its services often. It has met all the state of art standards of care outlined by the board with reference to the safety of both staff and patients, services on offer and availability of consumables. Process improving plans The Longstreet Clinic core mission is to provide the best quality care to the community. All the staff members remain committed to the provision of quality services through multidisciplinary approach. Monitoring and evaluation is a part of health care processes in a bid to improve on the care delivery models. The facility has a plan in place to heighten the service delivery quality for the year 2014/2015. The plan does support the mission, vision and objectives of the facility. Concisely, the facility intends to improve on innovation, collaboration with public-private partners, resources management and service excellence. The facility also aims to incorporate a five-step approach in improving the clinical service delivery quality. The critical components include definition, measurement, analysis, control and improvement (Varkey, Reller, & Resar, 2007). To measure the extent of improvement in service delivery, valid indicators must be analyzed after data collection. Identification of improvement opportunity, one must make a decision to act in response to the level of satisfaction the client wants. The process-improvement facility model does focus on both patient functions and organization functions. The patient functions include strict observance of the patient’s rights, ideal provision of client care and treatment services, management of client condition, and infections surveillance and prevention (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). The organizational functions include improvement in organization performance patterns, environment management, ideal human resources management, information management and assured leadership. Every staff is a part of performance improvement through provision of suggestions, recommendations, participations in meetings and review of the past reports. At the end of the set period of assessment, there is a questionnaire given to both clients and staffs. The information is related to the goal set at the beginning of a certain duration. Analysis of the data will give a clear indicator of achievement levels. Billing and revenue collection All the services rendered to the client are recorded in the facility database. The facility offers services to both insured and non-insured clients. For the insured clients, the bills are tallied at the end of every month and forwarded to the insurance agencies for clearance. They utilize the electronic means to settle the bills. Lessons learnt Longstreet Clinics is unique in a way. It forms a bunch of clinics that were started recently, barely two decades ago, and has shown impressive success. The reports from the clients are pleasing, and the rapid expectation is a symbol of reassurance to future success. Longstreet clinics are the future of the likes of Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic, another pair of health facilities that boasts of having garnered the insurmountable confidence from the majority of the population for quite a long time. Having started fifteen years ago, THC is likely to expand to greater boundaries within the next few years. Two pivotal elements have contributed to the success of the facility. The services on offer are diverse, and mostly offered over one roof. Majority of the physicians are specialists; hence, one is assured of quality health care (Salas et al., 2009). The costs are also cost effective and efficient. Focusing on the quality of the services and the client satisfaction is essential in the success of any health facility. The needs of the patient form the pinnacle and epitome of service delivery. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach and diversification of services also stands a chance to contribute to immense success (Heeks, 2006). All the physicians, nurses practitioners, nurses midwives, nutritionists and other contributors work as a team with a core goal of improving the outcome of the client’s condition. In essence, there is minimal efforts duplication and high probability of making an appropriate diagnosis hence immediate prognosis is assured. Teamwork is the heartbeat of medical health care, within which the entire success of the health care delivery depends on. Areas necessitating change There are several areas that when improved may lead to ultimate success of the facility. Introduction of such programs is likely to empower the patients for improving their health. Additionally, they can adopt a portfolio of primary health care especially targeting the high risks diseases. There ought to be an increase in the ambulatory care conditions hence halting down the need for hospital admissions. Additionally, the Longstreet Clinics ought to expand their services to cater fully for the inpatient services rather than for a few stations that do offer inpatients services (Iles & Sutherland, 2001). References Art, S.-. (2010). Sustainable Supply Chain Management : Culture, 16, 1–7. Caminal, J., Starfield, B., Sánchez, E., Casanova, C., & Morales, M. (2004). The role of primary care in preventing ambulatory care sensitive conditions. European Journal of Public Health, 14, 246–251. Heeks, R. (2006). Health information systems: Failure, success and improvisation. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 75, 125–137. Iles, V., & Sutherland, K. (2001). Organisational change A review for health care managers, professionals and researchers. Health Care (p. 101). Salas, E., Almeida, S. A., Salisbury, M., King, H., Lazzara, E. H., Lyons, R., … McQuillan, R. (2009). What are the critical success factors for team training in health care? Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety / Joint Commission Resources, 35, 398–405. Sprung, C. L., Cohen, R., & Adini, B. (2010). Recommendations and standard operating procedures for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza epidemic or mass disaster. Intensive Care Medicine. T., F., S.M., C., S., G., C.U., K., C., M., F., P.-K., & J., S. (2013). Strategies for reducing potentially avoidable hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. Annals of Family Medicine. The Longstreet Clinic p.c website, Retrieved from http://www.longstreetclinic.com US Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Report to Congress National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care. Strategy (pp. 1–23). Varkey, P., Reller, M. K., & Resar, R. K. (2007). Basics of quality improvement in health care. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Mayo Clinic, 82, 735–739. Read More