To meet patients’ needs, the staff at our two Primary Care offices implemented a Patient Access Center and same-day appointments. This came about due to growth in volume and the staff noticing increased calls and excessive voice mails. They soon realized something had to be changed.
Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) surveyed the patients that visit the primary care offices. One of the themes from the responses was access to the clinics via phone was not easy or convenient. So they took action.
Based on the feedback and the review of the current process, it was determined that a central Patient Access Center (PAC) was the best solution to improve their patients’ access to care. The improvements required much teamwork. DCMH knew that there would be some bumps along the way, but they were committed to a successful outcome for their patients.
Rex McKinney, President and CEO, stated, “Our staff have a passion to provide excellent patient care. They identified processes and workflow did not meet service expectations, so they took action and created the Patient Access Center. Service levels, patient experience and physician support have improved significantly.”
Carol Wolff, a former Decatur County Primary Care operator, now a PAC representative, is pleased with the outcome. She added, “One advantage to this new system is taking care of the patient better. With all of us together and being along-side a triage nurse, we can better answer the patient’s questions and get them the proper care and physician they need.”
The medical practices anticipate positive increases in patient experience scores from patient surveys as a reward to putting the patients’ first. What is best for the patient is best for us. DCMH is committed to this community and strive for continued progress in all aspects of our care including quality, service, and growth.
Mike Robertson, Director Physician Practices, stated, “Despite initial concerns and fears with change, I knew we were on the right track when our staff realized the significant improvement in service to our patients. With continually modifying the process, all staff are fully engaged while implementing their suggestions.”
If you would like to make a same-day appointment with our primary care physicians or nurse practitioners, please call 812-662-0588 or 812-663-7277.
Decatur County Memorial Hospital. The Quality Care You Want. Close by.