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Quality
 
Behind the Scenes of Care Management
It's been nearly a year since I (Nicole DeCicco, RN) transitioned from an Emergency Department nurse to join the team at PeaceHealth Medical Group as the new RN Care Manager. The last year has proved a great success by supporting the group to help provide improved health outcomes for some of our most complex patients.
This new and innovative position allows me to share the patient experience at many locations of care. Whether it's sitting in the Emergency Department with my patient experiencing debilitating chronic abdominal pain, providing diabetic patient teaching at the homeless shelter, or helping another reconcile his medicines after a recent hospital discharge from a seat in his mobile RV home, providing patient-centered care in an innovative manner has led to improved quality outcomes for this particular subset of patients.
Not only have these unique interventions supported better health outcomes for our patients, but we are seeing a decrease in hospital utilization. There is also an equally significant benefit of improved quality of life.
Just recently, at a nearby assisted living facility, I sat with a smiling elderly woman as she told me with delight about the beanbag baseball team she recently joined. A year ago, this woman was in and out of the hospital and seemed to cycle between home, a skilled facility, and the inpatient setting. Now, she is pulling her oxygen tank along her side as she competes with other "beanbag baseball" teams in the community room at her home.
And today, I attended our Living Well with Chronic Disease class with some of my Care Managed patients. I've seen some of these patients at their worst. Unconscious, on life-saving machines to support their breathing, homeless, depressed, angry, confused, anxious, tearful, and at times desperate for a helping hand to guide them.
Only 6 months ago, I watched as paramedics lifted one of my patients as he lay unconscious on a stretcher into the ambulance that would transport him for his third inpatient stay that month. I sat by another earlier in the year in the ICU after her second visit to the hospital in the month prior to Care Management. This woman, younger than I, is much too young to have to experience the devastating residual effects after a stroke.
I sat listening to these patients interact with each other and realized I am learning as much from them as they are from me. Seven years in the Emergency Department did not prepare me for this experience. In the group setting, I see them offering kind words of encouragement and support to each other. In less than one year, they have come a long way.
This article is dedicated to our hard-working, underserved, capable, resilient Care Management patients. They helped themselves to the road for better health outcomes and improved quality of life. They have also taught me many invaluable lessons as a nurse. I hope to share these lessons with you all as we continue to provide quality care and exceptional service to every patient, every touch, every time at PeaceHealth Medical Group.
Nicole DeCicco, RN
Case Manager, Fisher’s Landing |
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