Celebrating Patient Experience Week: Penn State Health Medical Group Community Practice Division delivers exceptional care in unconventional ways
During the pandemic, Penn State Health Medical Group Community Practice Division employees have delivered adult and pediatric care in unconventional ways and taken extraordinary steps to help their patients. Many sites have conducted patient care activities for adult and pediatric patients in unconventional locations—patient vehicles, tents, converted administrative office spaces and virtually.
The Medical Group Community Practice Division has handled follow up appointments, assessed sore ears and throats, measured vital signs, conducted COVID testing and organized drive up influenza vaccine clinics and COVID immunizations. In addition, the medical group has shown flexibility in providing patient care and quickly adopted a telehealth model within the first two weeks of 2020.
The Division administered COVID vaccines to thousands of Pennsylvanians over the past few months. In addition to supporting numerous community vaccine pop-up sites, staff has provided a total of 41,300 vaccine doses in Berks, Cumberland and Lancaster counties.
Recently, St. Joseph’s Vascular Clinic staff saw long-time vascular patient, Robert, a widowed 82-year-old veteran who lives in the city of Reading. Robert is on a limited income and sometimes struggles to balance all his bills. He has few resource supports and relies on public transportation to get to his appointments. Robert also cares for his daughter, who suffers from mental health disease. Getting to know patients in this way helps Division staff understand why a patient may miss an appointment, skip medicine, skimp on meals and struggle to access transportation.
During his visit, Robert shared that he was afraid to leave his house due to COVID. When staff asked him about getting the vaccine, he said he did not have a computer to set up an appointment and has limited time on his phone plan to make calls. His bus does not stop at the vaccine site and he is not able to safely walk the distance to the hospital.
Clinic Physician Assistant Staci Gross, approached Melissa Shustack, practice site manager, to find out whether they could help Robert. Shustack spoke with Mary Moyer, director of ambulatory practices in the Berks Region, who secured an appointment for Robert immediately. Gross and Jacky Ortega, surgical scheduler, took Robert to receive his first vaccine and scheduled his second so they could take him back. Robert was so appreciative and near tears after getting his vaccine. He told the women, “I really love you guys”.
This is a prime example of how the Medical Group Community Practice Division staff demonstrate their commitment to an exceptional patient experience.
If you're having trouble accessing this content, or would like it in another format, please email Penn State Health Marketing & Communications.