A Team Approach

Rudolph Willis: This model is considerably different than other hospitals. I, my response to this concept of having clinicians participate in a team effort to take care of patients. I thought it was revolutionary and I think it is in terms of how we can more efficiently manage patients and improve upon their outcomes and deliver the kind of care that we need to deliver. I remind myself it’s, it’s really sort of what a microcosm of what an internist does in a sole practice. That internist has to pick up the phone call the GI, the GI doctor gasteronurologist, cardiologists, has to coordinate x-ray requests and a host of other factors; it’s a practice. The advantage we have in this practice with the patient, the focus is that we have all of that resource available to us through the other clinicians and the effort is a team.

Deb Selm: When a lot of other centers are looking at compressive care they really are not incorporating naturopathy, and nutrition, and mind-body medicine, ad spiritual aspects of care into what our concept of a team is. It really is amazing that I hear my colleagues talking about what other centers are doing and most places if you want to see a naturopathist your given a card and sent down the street, and you have to as the patient set all of that up. Whereas here, it’s, it’s a given that’s its part of the care that your going to receive.

Maria Watson: Typically, when you go to the doctors and you have to see more than one person you have to make sure you can get onto their schedule and that can be a problem cause people may not have openings. You may have to spend all day going from one person going to another. I’ve got a care team. They’re all aware of what’s going on, they all communicate with each other on a regular basis. I go to one location for my appointment; I see the doctor, I see the my care manager, I see pain management, I see the naturopath, and the nutritionist. Whoever I need to see they come to me and its just much more convenient for me. When you’re not well it’s just a wonderful thing to be able to consolidate it all in an hour an hour and a half’s amount of time. That way you can go home and rest or do whatever you need to do.