Kadlec has opened a new outpatient practice to bridge the gap in follow-up care for adults who have been discharged from Kadlec Regional Medical Center or one of its emergency departments, and who either do not have a primary care provider or cannot get in to see their provider promptly.
Kadlec Clinic Bridge Care, located in the Corrado Building on Kadlec's main campus, improves the ability for patients to access care. Better access to follow-up care as well as primary care can translate to better healing and improved outcomes for people who have been hospitalized, experienced a medical emergency, or have received a difficult diagnosis at Urgent Care.
“The first 30 days after discharge is a very vulnerable and important time,” said Racheal Inman, manager of the Kadlec Clinic Bridge Care and Population Health. “There are discharge orders and often new medications and referrals.”
The transition from hospital to home can lead to gaps in care and communication. She noted that patients experiencing high stress after discharge are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Patients facing care gaps also may repeatedly return to emergency departments and urgent care clinics.
“With this clinic, we want to make sure that patients have time with a provider and staff who can help them connect with resources and navigate their care to get everything they need,” she said.
Appointments with the Bridge Care provider are scheduled to ensure the patient has as much time as they need. Services from the clinic include health condition management, medication management, patient education, care coordination, social services, and case management to connect patients to resources, and assistance establishing with a long-term primary care provider.
Patients go to the clinic by referral. They are seen until they can establish care with a primary care provider for the long term, with the clinic acting as a temporary but vital bridge.
By helping people recover and manage chronic conditions, the clinic can help people avoid rehospitalizations or repeated visits to emergency departments and urgent care clinics. That, in turn, may help create more health care access, Inman said.
Kadlec Clinic Bridge Care is the result of collaboration across multiple departments, including inpatient case management, hospital leadership, and clinic providers.
“This clinic would not be successful without the collaboration or support,” Inman said.
The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. until noon. Appointments are required, and both virtual and in-person appointments are available.
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