Improving Community Health, One Hire at a Time
Valley Regional Hospital has had an extraordinary year with respect to our targeted efforts to employ the right professionals, in the right settings to help us better address the emerging health needs of the community. Positions within the hospital setting and in outpatient care have helped us improve the promise of wellness for everyone who turns to us for care. These highlights tell the story:
We welcomed a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PNMHP), to care for patients in both AIM and VPC practices, assisting with co-morbidity complex cases involving substance and alcohol use and mental health disorders. She works predominantly outpatient full time and helps patients address their chronic and acute mental health symptoms with appropriate medications, along with providing consultations with VRH Primary Care providers. Additionally, the PNMHP is available to staff in the emergency room and the med-surg inpatient hospital unit for consultation with the most challenging psychiatric cases. She recently commented, “Patients now see me in the community and say, ‘You’ve changed my life’ because of my specific role in connecting medication treatment of mental health with their medical needs. Many are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, over/under medicated, or go significant periods of time with no check-ins with the providers who originally prescribed those medications. We are making great strides in care!”
Our Emergency Department RN for Behavioral Health & Substance Use Disorder is anchored upon this program manager’s extensive experience in emergency care for substance use disorders and mental health. While only months in existence, this innovative position provides assessment screenings and referral services, pilots a Harm Reduction Program, and connects patients to primary care and community resources where appropriate. Our program has already caught the attention of NH State Bureau Staff for successful and positive, rapid integration efforts in a rural care setting!
Among our newest hires, we’ve added a Primary Care Pharmacist to serve patients with diabetes and heart management health related issues. This position also assists primary care providers with medication reconciliation and awareness. After receiving a recent referral to connect with an older male patient our Primary Care Pharmacist said, “I reached out to him and explained how our program could help with his diabetes management. After meeting with me, he stated that, during his eight year diagnosis, he never had someone ever take the time to slowly explain what diabetes was, what the risks were, and help him identify changes that could make a real difference. I understand that primary care providers are often not able to provide this more in depth level of attention and focus, but I am grateful that my position provides the time to produce these positive experiences to my patients.”
The focus of diabetes and heart health has also extended to a new Pharmacy Technician for the Emergency Department & Urgent Care. This individual focuses on connecting patients with our clinical pharmacist for diabetes and heart health patients, as well as complete medication reconciliations, and referrals to primary care for any patient lacking a primary care home. He recently commented, “What has surprised me the most is how grateful the providers in the ED are to have me as a trusted resource. There have been situations
that otherwise may have had undesired outcomes, but because I am able to assist, medication reconciliations were completed and proved beneficial in the care of the patients. This role also enables me to refer patients to the primary care pharmacist for their unmanaged diabetes, so the synergy is excellent for everyone.”
Finally, we added another Community Health Navigator to the team, resulting in two Community Health Navigators providing real-time referrals and guidance to providers and patients, following positive assessments for social determinants of health. Their success stories occur on a daily basis, and include:
- Doubling the size of the Medication Assistance Program in just one year by connecting over 70 patients with low, or no cost, medication sources.
- Completing thousands of patient referral calls for transportation, food, utility assistance, city welfare, car seats, dental assistance, and more.
- Successfully establishing two families, previously living in motels for years, into their own apartments, and connecting them with community resources to furnish those homes.
- Assisting in the completion of many Medicaid and Medicare applications; and,
- Distributing over $5,000 of Hannaford gift cards for fruits and veggies to families seeking to improve their families’ health goals.
This has been a year of profound growth in these areas and we are extremely proud of the progress Valley Regional Hospital is making to target new and innovative ways to deliver the highest quality care.