Patients' hospital stay is typically marked by several different clinicians and locations as patients' health changes. Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, Calif., established the role of care coordinator to be a constant caregiver throughout patients' stay who can answer any questions and ensure patients safely transition from one level of care to another.
"When you're a patient, you may have two to three nurses caring for you on any given day," says Donald Dawkins, RN, MBA, vice president of strategic integration at Tri-City Medical Center. "The care coordinator smoothes out that variability. [He or she] is one individual who takes a broad look at how care is being delivered to the patient."
In Tri-City Medical Center's Cardiovascular Health Institute, care coordinators play an essential role in the continuum of care for patients by ensuring appropriate post-discharge care. In fact, Mr. Dawkins, who is also secretary of CVHI's board of managers, says care coordinators, working in conjunction with the medical staff, are one of the major reasons Tri-City Medical Center had the fifth lowest 30-day heart attack readmission rate among U.S. hospitals based on CMS' Hospital Compare data submitted from July 2007 to June 2010. The hospital's rate was 15.6 compared to the national average of 19.8.
"Clinical medical management is necessary to reduce the likelihood of [patients] getting readmitted," Mr. Dawkins says. Care coordinators conduct clinical care management by rounding on patients daily, communicating with patients' physicians, confirming patients have a follow-up appointment and, after discharge, ensuring patients have filled and are taking the correct medication.
In addition to helping patients understand their disease and take care of themselves after discharge, care coordinators also educate families on the importance of follow-up appointments, patients' dietary changes and other information.
The success of the care coordinator role in CVHI has prompted Tri-City Medical Center to begin introducing care coordinators in its orthopedic institute. As in CVHI, the care coordinators will guide patients through the continuum of care to ensure quality and reduce readmissions.
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"When you're a patient, you may have two to three nurses caring for you on any given day," says Donald Dawkins, RN, MBA, vice president of strategic integration at Tri-City Medical Center. "The care coordinator smoothes out that variability. [He or she] is one individual who takes a broad look at how care is being delivered to the patient."
In Tri-City Medical Center's Cardiovascular Health Institute, care coordinators play an essential role in the continuum of care for patients by ensuring appropriate post-discharge care. In fact, Mr. Dawkins, who is also secretary of CVHI's board of managers, says care coordinators, working in conjunction with the medical staff, are one of the major reasons Tri-City Medical Center had the fifth lowest 30-day heart attack readmission rate among U.S. hospitals based on CMS' Hospital Compare data submitted from July 2007 to June 2010. The hospital's rate was 15.6 compared to the national average of 19.8.
"Clinical medical management is necessary to reduce the likelihood of [patients] getting readmitted," Mr. Dawkins says. Care coordinators conduct clinical care management by rounding on patients daily, communicating with patients' physicians, confirming patients have a follow-up appointment and, after discharge, ensuring patients have filled and are taking the correct medication.
In addition to helping patients understand their disease and take care of themselves after discharge, care coordinators also educate families on the importance of follow-up appointments, patients' dietary changes and other information.
The success of the care coordinator role in CVHI has prompted Tri-City Medical Center to begin introducing care coordinators in its orthopedic institute. As in CVHI, the care coordinators will guide patients through the continuum of care to ensure quality and reduce readmissions.
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