December 15, 2008
We want you to be satisfied with the service we provide. In order to give you a direct voice to let us know how we’re doing, YKHC has contracted with an organization called Press-Ganey. Each month Press-Ganey sends surveys to patients who have been seen in our Outpatient Clinics, giving you a chance to tell us what we are doing right and also how we could do better.
Family Medicine: Outpatient Clinic improvements will enhance continuity of care
By Louise Reed, Director of Outpatient Clinics
The vision of Outpatient Clinics is "Providing Excellent Health - One Patient At a Time."
In an effort to maintain continuity of care for our patients, particularly throughout the turnover of Medical and Nursing staff, the Empanelment Committee has decided to give names to various village and patient groups. These groups, or medical families, will remain the same even if a medical provider leaves, creating as smooth a transition as possible.
The Clinics will continue to be known as Delta, Kusko and Yukon. Villages assigned to each clinic have changed slightly. (See provider pictures and village distribution on page 7). Culturally relevant names have been assigned to the medical families. We are planning to bring these changes by the beginning of the New Year with as little disturbance to our routine as possible.
A group of villages, including some Bethel patients, will now fall into the following medical families:
Delta Clinic
Patients regularly seen in Delta will be part of one of these medical families: Crane, Swan, Mallard, Ptarmigan or Pintail.
Kusko Clinic
Patients regularly seen in Kusko will be part of one of these medical families: Moose, Beaver or Caribou.
Yukon Clinic
Patients regularly seen in Yukon will be part of one of these medical families: Herring, Pike, Whitefish, King, Red or Silver.
Our medical providers will be assigned to a specific medical family. For the most part, this change will make very little difference in which provider you see. For example, if your regular provider is Dr. Hartman, you will still be scheduled with him in Delta Clinic. However, now "Crane" will be on your registration sticker, because that is the medical family group he will work in.
Also, there may be more than one provider caring for the patients of each medical family. Dr. Mondesir is also part of the "Crane" family and will be the pediatrician caring for many of the children in that group.
When you need a clinic appointment, you will still call the same number, 907-543-6442, and hear the same friendly voice of your scheduler. Most people will go to the same clinic and see the same provider, unless their provider is off duty or out of town. The only difference will be that most of the stickers you will receive to take to the clinic will have a "medical family" name instead of the provider's name. Actual Provider names will be used only under special circumstances.
One other change to be aware of is Dr. Al-Shaar is now working in the Specialty Clinic area. We thank you for your patience as we make changes in our Delivery of Care so that we may "Provide Excellent Health - One Patient At a Time."
