The Minnesota Department of Health announced on June 23rd that FirstLight Health System was certified as a Health Care Home. The certification includes all of FirstLight campuses located in Hinckley, Mora and Pine City.
A “Health Care Home (HCH),” also called a “Medical Home” is not a building, house, hospital or nursing home, but rather an approach to health care where primary care providers (PCP, i.e. doctor/nurse practitioner), families and patients work in partnership to plan, coordinate care, provide continuous access which will result in improved health outcomes and reduced health costs over time. Patients of all ages with chronic or complex health conditions, disabilities or specialized health needs will have access to a dedicated Care Team that includes a PCP, a care coordinator (social worker/nurse), spouse/family member(s), pharmacists, and additional health care professionals directly involved in their care. Enrollment in a Health Care Home is voluntary and your provider will suggest if he/she thinks who would best benefit from this type of care.
This program, which started developing early in 2015, was funded by a grant received from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for those health and social service organizations that show they are committed to practicing transformation and integration of care while being responsive to local health needs. A dedicated staff who took ownership to ensure its certification include: Dr. Danielle Bergman (Physician Champion), Katie Dvorak (Doctor of Pharmacy), Jen Peterson (Social Services Supervisor), Jen Friday (RN, Nurse Care Coordinator), Diane Bankers (VP of Nursing Services), Julie Ray (Clinic services Manager), Sandy Zutz-Wiczek (Chief Operating Officer), Stacey Heins (Patient Access Manager), Julie Miller (Certified Diabetes Educator) and Sheila Peterson (Business Office Supervisor). The final review and subsequent certification from the Department of Health took place thru an audit in late June.
“Having FirstLight as a certified HCH, plays an important role for advancing Healthcare’s Triple Aim fundamentals improving patient experience and the overall health of our population”, comments Jen Peterson, Social Services Supervisor.
For more detailed information regarding Heath Care Home visit: http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/homes/index.html
