Carilion Clinic in Virginia Introduces Care Coordinators for 'Medical Home'

Roanoke, Va.-based Carilion Clinic, which operates 10 hospitals, has introduced two care coordinators to follow patients at one of its practices, and it plans to introduce more, according to a report by the Roanoke Times.

Under this approach, called the "patient-centered medical home," care coordinators make sure patients understand their conditions, medications and available community support, helping them deal with issues that might be overlooked by their physicians.

Carilion's efforts have the attention of Elliott Fisher, MD, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Care Policy and Clinical Practice, which compiles the Dartmouth Atlas that correlates healthcare outcomes and spending in regions across the country.

"We need a new model," Dr. Fisher told a group of Carilion physicians. "We need teams to manage populations."

The National Committee for Quality Assurance has certified the Carillion practice as the first Level-3 Patient-Centered Medical Home in the state.

Read the Roanoke Times' report on Carilion Clinic.