2017 May

Last year was an exciting one for SCAN! Our OST program launched in 2016 and quickly grew in terms of the different training courses offered and the number of provider offices and staff trained. Here's a look at our program by the numbers:

The program is off to a great start! We’re looking forward to expanding the program in 2017 by increasing our staff to include a dedicated trainer.

High Desert Medical Group (an affiliate of Heritage Provider Network) is a medical group in the Antelope Valley providing patients a multitude of services, including internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, 24-hour urgent care and other specialty clinics.

We spoke to High Desert Medical Group’s quality manager, Margaret Louey, about how SCAN’s OST has impacted the practice.

How many physicians and staff make up High Desert Medical Group?
We have eight primary care physicians, six mid-level providers in our two staff model locations, approximately 35 IPA primary care physicians and about 20 mid-levels.

Approximately how many senior members do you see there?
We see approximately 8,500 Medicare members.

How does SCAN’s OST align with your mission and vision and quality activities?
High Desert Medical Group’s 2017 quality management vision is “To enhance overall patient experience by working closely with all High Desert Medical Group departments and entities to instill a culture of customer service through training, education and consistent communication.” The OST program assisted us with our mission and goals by teaching us ways to better serve and understand our senior patients.

Do you have any examples of how the staff has incorporated what they have learned?
The feedback on the Trading Ages training has been fantastic. We’re better able to see the challenges seniors face now that we’ve had a chance to “walk” in their shoes. We’re more compassionate when assisting seniors with filling out forms that might be difficult to see and are not clear. It was also helpful to take a minute to think about how we present everything to our senior patients.

High Desert Medical Group looks forward to continuing to work closely with SCAN to improve the health and wellbeing of our senior members!

When a physician changes a prescription for a patient or medications expire, you must advise the patient to properly dispose of the “old” or unused prescription. It’s important that patients do not throw drugs in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. Medications that have been improperly disposed of can be abused by others or harm the environment.

The best “medicine” for patients is providing them with information regarding drug take back programs in their area. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration hosts National Prescription Drug Take-Back events several times throughout the year. During these events, collection sites are set up in communities for the safe disposal of prescription drugs. Encourage patients to ask their local law enforcement agencies if they sponsor medicine take back programs or if their local waste management authorities can provide medication disposal options and guidelines.

Other prescription pill disposal location options include long-term care facilities, like nursing homes. Many pharmacies will take back medications for disposal as well.

Let’s protect our patients and our environment by disposing of unused medications the right way.

For more information about safe prescription medication disposal, visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website.

 

Most of our readers have participated in SCAN’s Trading Ages senior sensitivity training course. Trading Ages not only teaches participants about the health issues our senior population faces every day but it allows them to experience those challenges firsthand. Participants experience hearing loss, vision changes, loss of dexterity and more.

We want to hear from you. Tell us about the most important thing you learned from Trading Ages. How have you been able to incorporate what you've learned into your office?

Tell us by May 19, 2017 and enter a chance to receive a complimentary lunch for your entire office staff! Just email askthetrainer@scanhealthplan.com with your:

To be eligible, you must have participated in a SCAN OST session between 2016 and 2017. The winner will be selected at random. The name of the winner and his or her submission will appear in the next issue of the newsletter.

 

See the attached 2017 course catalog for the OST courses available to your staff in the coming year!

We want to hear from you! Share your feedback and ideas with us, and you could be featured in our next newsletter. Email askthetrainer@scanhealthplan.com.

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 present 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.