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Benefits of HBPC Caregiver Stories HCCIntel Uncategorized

Community Paramedics Make House Calls and Change Lives

Ottawa Citizen.com  |  Elizabeth Payne  |  Aug 21, 2019

Maria Makkos greets Stephanie Rose at the front door of Makkos’s Arnprior apartment building.

“You are here to see me?” she asks, grinning broadly as she leads the community paramedic to her tidy unit.

Over her shoulder, Rose, the paramedic, carries a heavy black bag containing a blood pressure cuff, equipment for drawing blood, papers and other medical equipment.

Makkos, 82, is the third client the community paramedic has seen this morning.

Rose checks Makkos’s blood pressure, which is high. When they sort through her medication, Rose discovers the elderly woman hasn’t been taking it regularly.

“You are busted, I caught you red-handed,” says Rose with a laugh and a wag of the finger.

Makkos, who still drives and walks to stay fit, says she is determined to remain healthy so she doesn’t have to go into the hospital.

“Don’t’ worry, that is the last place we want you to be,” says Rose. “We are going to help you stay here, but we just want to make sure you are safe.” Taking her medicine on time, she tells Makkos, is crucial to staying healthy and in her own home.

Before she leaves, Makkos wistfully jokes that she wants Rose’s visit to last all day.

In a role reminiscent of a family doctor doing house calls, Rose visits clients to check on their health and just to chat. The conversations, sprinkled with laughter, are as important as the testing to determine what people need to remain independent and as healthy as possible, she says.  Read more

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HCCIntel Practice Management Tip of the Month Training

Geographic Scheduling: Impact on Home-Based Primary Care Productivity

Geographic scheduling

One of the unique challenges home-based primary care practices face is determining an effective geographic scheduling and route planning process.  The ability to automate and/or optimize routing of patient visits is key to minimizing travel time for providers, boosting productivity and increasing face-to-face time with patients. Dedicating the time and thought into operationalizing the process of geographic scheduling will increase productivity, boost provider morale, and improve bottom line.

Some tips to remember when determining your scheduling outline and process:

  • Define provider scheduling zones utilizing zip codes and/or service areas within proximity.
  • Implement the use of Bing Maps and Google Maps can assist with defining appropriate zones and daily routes for providers.
  • Utilize mapping/scheduling software such as CareLink and RoadWarrior to create reliable multi-destination routes.
  • For smaller practices on a budget, the use of an Excel spreadsheet could assist in mapping out the areas the practice covers and grouping patients accordingly.
  • Establish a process for the scheduling staff to follow that allows for grouping of future appointments together on days in which the provider will be in a defined area.
  • When caring for patients in an assisted living or group home, ensure the scheduling staff maintains an accurate list of patients at each facility so patients are seen together when the provider is at the facility.
  • High patient volume within a facility is a great opportunity to maximize provider productivity by designating set facility days.
  • Recruit and hire providers who reside in a high patient population area so they can provide service with minimal travel time.

Interested in improving productivity Geographic Scheduling? Home Centered Care Institute will present a 30 minute HCCIntelligence™ Webinar on Wednesday, September 18 at 4 pm CST followed by Virtual Office Hours.