Health care can be confusing, especially with the constant changes that occur. Here are a few tips and updates from the region’s top providers on the best ways to learn more about your health care options.
Courtesy of LewisGale
LEWISGALE
Educated Consumers Utilize Research to Help Choose the Right Health Care Provider
When it comes to your health and your family’s, how do you know you’re receiving the best care and outcomes possible? With so many providers, how can you have confidence knowing you made the right choice? While there isn’t one easy answer, it’s important to realize that health care quality can and does vary, and that there are tools readily available to help consumers make informed decisions when choosing a new health care provider or evaluating their current provider.
Instead of taking your health care for granted, utilize available research to confirm that your provider uses the latest medical technology available, delivers compassionate care and provides quality results. A good place to begin your health care research is by examining average wait times at your local hospital’s Emergency Room. ER wait times matter because it’s been proven that wait time impacts outcomes and quality of care. Even a few minutes can make a difference for ill or injured patients.
When you need emergency care in Southwest Virginia, have confidence knowing you’re receiving the best care, as quickly as possible, at LewisGale Regional Health System’s network of four hospital Emergency Rooms and our newest ER – the Cave Spring Emergency Room. This nearly 10,000 square-foot standalone ER is staffed with board-certified emergency room physicians and nurses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing the same services found in an emergency room housed within the walls of a hospital. Together, these five Emergency Rooms provide unparalleled emergency care and the region’s shortest wait times before being seen by an ER physician. Choosing the right ER is important because it is figuratively a hospital’s front door, with the majority of hospitalizations resulting from a visit there first.
In addition to fast ER wait times, the entire LewisGale Regional Health System and each of our four hospitals are focused on quality of patient care. To this end we measure outcomes and processes because evidence-based medicine is proven to provide the best health outcomes possible. That attention to detail and quality extends to each of our numerous service lines as well. For instance, looking at quality indicators in Orthopedics, LewisGale Medical Center is a Top 100 Hospital for Spine Surgery as measured by HealthGrades and in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for Orthopedic Surgery. We’re also the only four-star hospital in the Roanoke Valley as rated by the Centers for Medicare Services.
Medical technology that is improving outcomes and saving lives
LewisGale’s quality outcomes, in part, are a direct result of our focus on early recognition and treatment of sepsis – the body’s extreme response to an infection and a life-threatening medical emergency. As an HCA hospital, LewisGale Medical Center is using new SPOT technology (Sepsis Prediction and Optimization of Therapy) – a software program created by HCA’s data scientists to identify the first signs of sepsis using artificial intelligence. The technology has resulted in early detection of at least one-third more cases of sepsis that may not previously have come to caregivers’ attention until it was too late. When compared to local, state and national averages, a significantly higher percentage of LewisGale patients received appropriate care for severe sepsis and septic shock, according to a survey by the Center for Medicare Services (CMS), and our overall sepsis mortality rate is less than half the national average.
Another way technology benefits patients is through LewisGale’s new laboratory equipment that identifies disease-causing germs faster than ever, enabling physicians to begin effective treatment sooner with antibiotics designed specifically to target specific organisms. LewisGale is presently one of the only health care providers in Southwest Virginia using the new VITEK Mass Spectrometry (MS) unit that can improve patient results, reduce the reliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics, lower costs and shorten patient hospital stays. The new unit can analyze a culture and identify the disease-causing organism(s) in as little as 60 seconds, compared to waiting 24 hours or longer for results when compared to using traditional diagnostic procedures.
Technology also plays an important role in helping deliver the best surgical outcomes possible. For instance, robot-assisted surgery is considered by many to be the most effective and least invasive surgical technology available today, offering a number of benefits over traditional surgery including providing surgeons more precise control over the surgical instruments. LewisGale Medical Center utilizes the da Vinci® Surgical System across a spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures in the areas of gynecology, urology, thoracic and general surgery. LewisGale Medical Center is also the first hospital west of Richmond with the new Mazor X™ Robotic Guidance Platform for spine surgery.
Technology is also helping protect LewisGale’s youngest patients – newborns – and provide parents with added security and peace of mind. CertaScan is a new, high-tech tool used to identify newborns using their footprints, as footprints from birth are a recognized and viable way of uniquely identifying a baby. Nurses scan the feet of every newborn using this modern-scanning technology and patent-pending system. Those footprints become a permanent part of the baby’s medical record and lasting memento for parents, in addition to providing an added layer of security while the baby is still in the hospital and when the baby goes home.
New Leadership and Physician Training Help Position the Health System for Continued Future Success
To help train tomorrow’s exceptional physicians, LewisGale recently began a Graduate Medical Education Program (GME) in internal medicine and psychiatry, and plans to expand the program with opportunities in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Transitional Year and medicine subspecialties by 2020 when we anticipate having more than 140 residents.
When it comes to choosing and evaluating a health care provider, know that LewisGale offers a full spectrum of specialty services that you would expect from a multi-facility, regional health system.
CARILION CLINIC
The Roanoke Valley is an area known for its vast outdoor amenities, bustling urban scene at the base of Mill Mountain and rich cultural heritage. Such a diverse region necessitates a health care system that can keep up with its medical needs and partner with its communities to foster values of health and wellness.
As the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and innovative provider in more than 70 medical specialties, Carilion Clinic strives to be that organization.
For newcomers to the valley, one of the most important steps to get plugged into the community is finding the right health care team to serve your family. Check out the questions below and learn about how you can begin your health care journey.
Q: I just moved to the Roanoke area. Now what?
A: There are many access points to care, but it is important to have someone that you are established with who can understand your medical history, the details of your family history and be familiar with you.
Each individual should have a primary care physician. They can serve as the person to help you navigate through what, nationwide, is a very complex health care system. In addition to standard wellness check-ups, they work with patients to refer necessary specialists and medical services.
For those moving to the Valley with a young family in tow, Carilion Children’s is an excellent resource for pediatricians. It is the area’s only dedicated hospital for children, and is a hub for highly trained and experienced general pediatricians and pediatric specialists.
Carilion offers physician referral services such as Carilion Direct [800-422-8482 or direct@carilionclinic.org] and Find a Doctor tools on CarilionClinic.org that can help you get established with a physician.
Q: What are some important things to consider when choosing a medical provider?
A: Factors to consider when finding a provider include location, hours of availability and means of physician-patient communication. In an age when people are very mobile, it’s important to engage a provider that communicates using technology that suits your needs.
One other question often overlooked is inquiring into the provider’s extended network. While specialty care may not necessarily be a concern in the present, it is good to be partnered with a provider that can refer you to qualified, experienced medical specialists.
Carilion is proud to serve patients throughout the entire spectrum of care. Whether an individual is in need of a regular wellness checkup or emergency medical attention, the Carilion team has it covered. With around 1,000 providers across a wide range of specialties, partnering with a Carilion primary care provider means that you are a part of an expansive health care team.
To see a full list of Carilion services, go to www.CarilionClinic.org/services.
Q: Finding the right provider is important, but how can I prioritize my health outside of the doctor’s office?
A: In Roanoke, there is no shortage of wellness opportunities. Go hiking on some of the area’s nationally renowned trails, kayak down the Roanoke River using one of the city’s kayak launches to get started, go jogging on the greenway and check out the city and all of its neighborhoods firsthand. Take your wellness into your own hands and get active!
Carilion practices what it preaches, incorporating wellness facilities into its amenities. With five Carilion Wellness locations across southwest Virginia, there is no shortage of activities, classes or training opportunities.
Each center provides members of all ages high quality athletic and wellness options. From Fitness on Demand classes to complimentary health screenings, Carilion Wellness serves as a one-stop-shop for proactively achieving wellness goals. For more information, check out www.CarilionWellness.com.
Salem VA Medical Center
Some of the country’s bravest men and women call the Greater Roanoke Valley home, and local veterans trust the professionals at Salem VA Medical Center (Salem VAMC) for all of their health care-related needs, including long-term care, primary care, a women’s health program and more.
The medical center specializes in providing outpatient care and rehabilitation services to patients who are experiencing complications associated with combat, stroke, amputation, spinal cord injuries, surgery, chronic illnesses and much more.
Caregivers also play a key role in nursing patients back to health. Through the facility’s caregiver support program, loved ones are reassured that they are not alone in the process. The medical center is there to assist with tools and emotional encouragement.
For veterans whose medical treatment plans require a prescription, the medical center makes getting pharmaceuticals as simple as possible. The Salem VAMC pharmacy processes more than 1,800 prescriptions on a daily basis. Veterans can refill their prescriptions online or via phone or mail.
In an effort to be at the forefront of emerging medical breakthroughs, the medical center also features a research and development program that explores numerous areas of study including cardiology, mental health, pulmonology, endocrinology and nephrology. Patients have the opportunity to participate in studies as well.
When veterans walk into the doors of the Salem VAMC, they can rest easy knowing that all of their needs will be met with compassion and experience.
Content provided by Carilion Clinic, LewisGale Regional Health System and the Salem VA Medical Center.