New roles for Meadow Lake health care providers

New roles for Meadow Lake health care providers

Success stories from Saskatchewan’s new framework for primary health care
“[The new model] means
the doctor doesn’t need
to be the expert. He just
needs to be a very good
family physician. It’s a
complete paradigm shift
for physicians, but I now
can’t imagine working
any other way.”
Dr. Gavin Van de Venter,
Family Physician
New roles for Meadow Lake health care providers
As a primary health care innovation site, Meadow Lake is at the forefront of offering an innovative approach to service
delivery that benefits both patients and health care providers.
Meadow Lake is using a team approach to service delivery, introducing nurse case managers, chronic disease educators,
dieticians, mental health and addictions workers, pharmacists and exercise therapists, among others, to work alongside
physicians in the Meadow Lake Primary Health Centre. This creates a one-stop shop for patients and provides holistic
health care services.
Melanie Bauman, a registered nurse and case manager says that there are now “many providers with the same goal but
a slightly different focus, so that the patient benefits from all the interactions.”
This approach supports Saskatchewan’s new primary health care framework which outlines a new primary health care
system that will make better use of a full range of health professionals, working collaboratively at the top of their scope
of practice. The team approach allows health care professionals to enjoy the benefits of team-based care, including
higher job satisfaction and better information sharing. It also ensures that every patient has access to a team that meets
their unique health care needs.
Success stories for primary health care
Meadow Lake resident Amber Stang says “we get what we need here.” While
her family members encouraged her to move to a bigger centre, the holistic approach in Meadow Lake has been great for her family. “The support is fantastic.”
Now that most of the groundwork has been completed, practitioners are concentrating on their areas of expertise and quickly conferring with colleagues
when they have questions. Better communication between practitioners improves not only patient service, but fosters better relationships between team
members.
Clinic manager Dione Fleury emphasizes that this is critical in the continuum
of care. With a strong base of support, “the patient feels better cared for,” says
Fleury.
“The process is smoother and wait times have decreased,” adds Becky Lockhart,
a registered nurse and case manager.
2
Primary health care is the
foundation of the health
care system, and the best
practices gleaned from
Meadow Lake will result
in a stronger and more
robust system that is
better able to meet the
needs of Saskatchewan’s
diverse population.
Dr. Gavin Van de Venter, a family physician, says that before the new changes
were implemented in Meadow Lake, “patients were struggling to get access.”
With a registered nurse case manager, patients are now guided through the system based on their specific needs.
Changing how primary health care is delivered means a different way of thinking
for providers. As Dr. Van de Venter notes, “[the new model] means the doctor
doesn’t need to be the expert. He just needs to be a very good family physician.
It’s a complete paradigm shift for physicians, but I now can’t imagine working
any other way.”
The introduction of multi-skilled health care teams is just one of the ways the
clinic better serves patients. It has also introduced Clinical Practice RedesignTM
and Continuous Improvement methodologies to focus on improving access to
services and enhancing the patient experience.
Primary health care is the foundation of the health care system, and the best
practices gleaned from Meadow Lake will result in a stronger and more robust
system that is better able to meet the needs of Saskatchewan’s diverse population. A patient- and family-centred health system means not only a healthier
population, but stronger communities as well. For more information on this
primary health care team and Saskatchewan’s new approach to primary health
care, visit www.health.gov.sk.ca/primary-health-care.
Thanks to Studio 10 for generously sharing their photos.