2017 July

On Sept. 27, SCAN will host a Train the Trainer Conference in Long Beach. This conference will focus on the patient satisfaction course series. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn the background knowledge, skills and practical tools to enhance the senior patient experience. The agenda will include:

Space is limited. For more information or to RSVP, please email askthetrainer@scanhealthplan.com by Sept. 1.

 

SeaView IPA is an independent physician association serving seven cities in Western Ventura County that range from small towns to large coastal communities. SeaView has a diverse network of more than 400 private practice primary care and specialty physicians.

We spoke to SeaView’s Manager of Case Management, Laura Zarate, RN, BSN, about how SCAN’s OST has impacted the practice.

Approximately how many senior members do you see at SeaView? 

SeaView provider offices range from solo practices to large clinics. We collectively see nearly 11,000 Medicare Advantage members. Dr. Gary Wikholm has been a SeaView provider since 1997, practicing in the small town of Santa Paula. Dr. Wikholm has a staff of six and sees 400 senior members in his practice.

How does SCAN’s OST align with your mission and vision and quality activities? 

SeaView IPA is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our members through comprehensive, high-quality and personalized healthcare services. This goal is accomplished by working in partnership with our experienced and caring provider office staff members, who all share a commitment to member satisfaction. 

The OST program supports SeaView’s mission by providing front and back office staff with best practices and actionable tools to improve the member experience. 

Do  you have any examples of how office staff members have incorporated what they’ve learned? 

The feedback SeaView has received from staff about OST’s 5-Star Service (C.L.E.A.R.) and Dealing with the Angry Patient (H.E.A.T.) courses has been phenomenal. Dr. Wikholm’s staff in particular has embraced the concepts and applied them to daily interactions with patients.

One of our staff members, Dalia, says she is more attentive to seniors when they are filling out paperwork. If they are struggling, she is quick to offer assistance. 

Elena says she tries to put herself in the patients’ shoes. “We don’t know what they had to go through just to get here. Some of our patients walk 12 blocks to get to our office!” 

Liz shares that she is more compassionate and patient now that she better understands the visual changes commonly experienced by seniors. 

The staff members recount with humor how they used to tell patients, “Have a nice day.” Instead, they now say, “Take care” or “I hope you feel better.” Dr. Wikholm’s office says it has sensed a positive response from its patients since making this change. 

Liz sums up the impact this way: “The Trading Ages training has been an overall great experience for this office. We are now more understanding when assisting our patients… and really think about how we approach our patients on their first impression with us.”

 

 

 

When senior patients come in for their appointment, there is so much that has to be done to provide our patients with an excellent experience. One of the most important is being helpful. Most patient satisfaction surveys (such as CAHPS) ask if the office staff was “helpful.”

But how often do we say the word “help”?

It is so important when talking to patients that we ask how we can help. Some examples:

 

You end your patients’ visit on a high note and it makes for a pleasant day for all staff members involved in the process. You’re also likely to see your patient satisfaction scores go up as a result.

 

SCAN would like to acknowledge our appreciation to the following medical groups for their ongoing participation in the OST program:

Each medical group will receive a plaque for its engagement and for completion of at least three OST courses.

Senior patients are misusing narcotic pain pills in alarmingly high numbers and many are becoming addicted. Opioid-related emergency room and hospitalization rates are five times higher than they were 20 years ago. Unfortunately, this misuse is not only affecting their health but the health and independence of their family members. 

The Opioid Overuse course will look at the effects of opioid abuse on seniors, their families and their environment and provide effective strategies for promoting safe prescribing of opioids and preventing opioid misuse.

Opioid Overuse is available now. Email askthetrainer@scanhealthplan.com to schedule this session today.

1. Look bored and hand them a clip board to complete their personal information.
2. Establish eye contact and greet them with a “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.”
3. Never smile at them so you won’t have to help them.
4. All of the above

2. It’s important to make sure patients’ needs have been met before they leave the office.

 

True/False

ABOUT THE OST PROGRAM

Who should attend?
Front office, back office and nursing staff and physicians can benefit from training.

Cost
Complimentary; SCAN does not charge for these courses.

Where
Choose how you want training for your staff:

When
You decide when is best for your site to have the training. Course lengths listed in the catalog are approximate and can be modified to fit your staff’s schedule.

For more information or to schedule training, email askthetrainer@scanhealthplan.com.