Sunday, November 4, 2012
I found this article through the website www.mpnnow.com, which is essentially an online news source for Ontario, Monroe, and Wayne Counties in New York State. This article pertains to the work that Dr. Robert Smith, of Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, NY, has done to improve the practitioner-patient relationship and overall health care of those in Ontario County. Specifically, Dr. Smith operates Fingerlakes Family Care, which as the article states is a "patient-centered medical home." Dr. Smith strives to improve the health care lives of the community by offering same day appointments for sick and acute visits, management of chronic disease by an in house care manager, and secure email and electronic communication between patients and the medical staff. By combining modern technology and personalized care, Dr. Smith has improved patient care by eliminating unnecessary office visits and provided patients with the ability to get in touch quickly and easily with a health care provider that best suits their needs.
I think the idea behind Fingerlakes Family Care is outstanding as it serves to make the patients health care experiences as seamless and accessible as possible. From a patient perspective I know that even the simplest tasks can be daunting and confusing when faced with an illness, acute or chronic. Thus providing an arena that minimizes patient confusion and amplifies patient comfort and clarity is clearly an important, sometimes missed, part of health care. I look forward to learning more about Fingerlakes Family Care, specifically the work of Dr. Robert Smith, in the future.
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This was an inspiring article but also somewhat sad in the fact the a patient-centered medical practice is not the norm but hopefully going to become a trend. The idea of being a healthcare provider should be to help somebody in need in one way or another. Dr. Robert Smith is wonderful in that he not only wants to help his patients but he wants to make it easy for them to receive help. I can certainly think of a few times I needed to see a doctor but did not want spend my time waiting all day in the lobby as a "work-in." I hope this catches on and people realize that the easier the access to healthcare is and less frustrating it is, the healthier people will be! I hope to someday be involved in a patient-centered practice like Fingerlakes Family Care.
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