The Primary Care Clinic

Economic and social conditions that affect people’s lives determine their health. People who are poor are less likely to seek proper medical care, as opposed to people who are of middle-class status and above. Citizens with more social status, money, and education have a plethora of choices and control over things, such as the neighborhoods, their salaries, occupational opportunities, etc. Jin, Shah, & Svoboda, September, 1995, 153(5)) Dennis Raphael of the CSJ Foundation for Research and Education, reinforces this concept: “Social determinants of health are the economic and social conditions that shape the health of individuals, communities, and jurisdictions as a whole. Social determinants of health are the primary determinants of whether individuals stay healthy or become ill. ” (Raphael, 2008) The development of clinics has become increasingly more important since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Politics influence clinics because when laws such as these are put in place, federal funds will follow. These acts will make healthcare more accessible to millions of people in the United States. (Hobbs, Morton, Swerissen, & Anderson, 2010) What would be a good mission statement? “To provide exemplary medical care to our patients, thus improving the health, wellness, and productivity of our community as a whole. Expect to receive the same level of service and dedication that we would provide for our own families. ” At our clinic, we offer these tips for better health.

We believe in empowering our patients with the knowledge to enable them to make better lifestyle choices. (Donaldson, 1999)

• Don’t smoke. If you can, stop. If you can’t, cut down.
• Follow a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Keep physically active.
• Manage stress by, for example, talking things through and making time to relax.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
• Cover up in the sun, and protect children from sunburn.
• Practice safer sex.
• Take up cancer-screening opportunities.
• Be safe on the roads: follow the Highway Code
• Learn the First Aid ABCs: airways, breathing, and circulation.

• Identify three (3) performance measures you would use to measure the clinic’s effectiveness and provide the rationale for each performance measure.

The three performance measures that I would use are customer-client surveys, outcomes and efficiency, and operations. (L, B, & Xu, 2001) (R. & Griffith, 2010) Customer-client surveys are important, because we need to know if patients are happy with the care they are receiving from us. If they are not happy, it could hurt our bottom line. Word-of-mouth travels fast, negative or positive. Every tenth patient should receive a survey, since randomness yields better results. Bryant) I would ask questions, such as:

• Was your appointment time adhered to? If not, how many minutes late?
• Do you feel that you had enough time to express your concerns with your healthcare professional, or did you feel rushed during the appointment?
• What are your thoughts on our check-in process? The outcomes and efficiency performance is extremely critical, because our goal is to decrease hospitalizations, and to manage illnesses.

This will decrease healthcare costs overall. If too many of our patients are being hospitalized, then that means something needs to be fixed. The patients are either not following clinician directives, not coming for follow-up appointments, or we may not have enough physicians on staff. (R. & Griffith, 2010) There is a critical shortage of primary care physicians in this country, due to the lure of more financially lucrative specialties. (Herrick, 2010) Last, but not least, is operations. In order to know what is really going on in the organization, you must speak with the employees that are on the forefront. They can offer suggestions for streamlining tasks, such as customer check-in. They are usually the first people that hear raise or complaints from the patient, so their feedback is invaluable.

• How would you approach decisions regarding clinic expansion and annual plan approval?

Due to the healthcare reform laws that were passed during the Obama Administration, there is a very real possibility that many people will be dropped from their employer-sponsored healthcare to the increased costs in 2014. (Diamond, 2010) Four major U. S. firms have come to the realization that millions, possibly, billions of dollars can be kept in the company coffers if they decide to cease healthcare benefits for their employees.

The companies-AT&T, Caterpillar, Deere, and Verizon Communications—made announcements in March and April of 2010 that it would less costly to pay the government-imposed fines, as opposed to absorbing the increased costs of the overhaul. The bill reduces employers’ tax deductions. To accommodate these patients during their transition from traditional employer-sponsored plans to government-based plans (including, but not limited to, Medicaid, insurance through the exchanges, etc. ), more clinics need to be opened to handle the impending influx of people who will be seeking care.

• The federal government will provide funding to clinics as part of their primary care initiatives, which will provide capital to help cover the costs of expansion. We need to expand our practice, and have these additional clinics up and running before this legislation takes effect. We need to keep the continuity of care momentum going strong in our communities. How would you describe the role of the clinic as a component of the healthcare delivery system in your community?

The clinic’s role in the community is of the utmost importance, especially in today’s financial climate. Many of our citizens are uninsured or underinsured. Due to the deterioration of the American economy, many people put cut healthcare from their tightened budgets. There have been reports of a decline in office visits since we have been in this recession. Clinics are needed to provide preventative and illness care, at an affordable cost, to the people. Due to the health reform legislation, which stresses preventative healthcare as one of its focuses, clinics will play a major role in the delivery of healthcare in this country, as they should.

• It is more cost-effective to utilize a clinic to manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, instead of going to the emergency room due to uncontrolled diabetes. How has public healthcare policy influenced the formation of outpatient clinics in the healthcare system?

The clinic’s role in the community is of utmost importance, especially in today’s financial climate. Many of our citizens are uninsured or underinsured. Due to deterioration of the American economy, many people cut medical services from their tightened budgets. There have been reports of a decline in office visits during this recent recession. Smith, 2010) Clinics are needed to provide preventative and illness care, at an affordable cost, to the members of the community. Due to health reform, which focuses on preventative care as a way to cut medical costs, clinics will play a major role in the delivery of medical services in our country. For example, it is more cost-efficient for patients to utilize a clinic to manage chronic conditions, i. e. diabetes, high blood pressure, etc, as opposed to going to the emergency room when symptoms escalate to dangerous levels.