Lancaster Physician Spring 2017 - 9

SPRING 2017

Patient Partners

Practices recruit their own Partners, particularly patients with chronic conditions,
those who are caring for a family member,
or those who have had experience navigating
the health care system. Patient Partners are
asked to commit to the program for at least
one year, meeting not only with their own
practice's quality improvement team but also
with other Patient Partners across the system
so they can share ideas.
"Having the person you are placing at the
center of your care in the center of your work
just makes sense to me," said David Noll, DO,
Regional Medical Director for the WellSpan
Medical Group. "I can think of no better way
to understand the needs of our patients than
having them at the planning and innovating
table as we seek to understand how to better
serve our community's health care needs."
Stephen Shull, 70, of Denver, serves as
the Patient Partner for WellSpan Family and
Pediatric Medicine - Rothsville, where he has
been a patient for almost 20 years.
Shull likes having a voice in improving
care at Rothsville. For example, he suggested
putting up a sign in the waiting room directing
those who have been waiting for more than
20 minutes to see the receptionist, so the staff
is aware of the wait. He also is hoping to see
an educational bulletin board placed in the
practice's waiting room. He thinks it would
be a good place to put information or helpful
tips for those with diabetes, which Shull has.
Shull feels like his work as a Patient Partner
really makes a difference. "The Rothsville
practice has really welcomed me," he said.
"They have asked my opinion and I feel like
my opinion matters."
Shull is retired, as are many other Patient
Partners, but the group also includes those who
are still working, husband-and-wife teams,
parents of pediatric patients, and adult children
who are caring for aging parents.

WellSpan Patient Partners include (from left)
Stephen Shull, Joan Moyer and Bonnie McKee.
One of the surprising things that WellSpan
has discovered about the program is that not
only are Patient Partners helping practices,
practices are also helping Patient Partners.
"By getting them to help us improve quality,
it makes Patient Partners more engaged in their
own health care," said Kathleen Hutcheson,
Consumer Engagement Coordinator for Aligning Forces for Quality at WellSpan. "They also
become more engaged in the community. We
have had some go out and help their neighbors.
One lady went with friends from her retirement
community to their medical appointments."
Bonnie McKee, 60, of Quarryville, has
worked as a Patient Partner with two different
WellSpan practices, a suburban practice, WellSpan Family Medicine - Granite Run, and a
rural practice that largely serves Plain patients,
WellSpan Family Health - Georgetown. A
stroke survivor who has had shoulder replacement surgery, McKee has had family members
with cancer and diabetes. She understands
what it's like to be a patient and be the family
member of one.
"I can give the practices feedback on everything from forms and how they are written
and how a patient understands them to how
the office is laid out, the situation in the exam
room - everything," she said.

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MOYER PHOTOGRAPHY

quality of health care and provide models for
national reform. WellSpan is a participant in
the program.

Patient Partner Joyce Moyer, 71, of Akron,
is always thinking about ways to improve
medical care at WellSpan Internal Medicine
- Ephrata. While attending a recent meeting
of Kellogg Lancaster retirees, Moyer heard a
presentation by Lancaster County District
Attorney Craig Stedman, who talked about
the growing opioid problem in the country.
After the talk, Stedman handed out prescription drug lock boxes, small cases that his office
bought with drug forfeiture funds. Stedman
urged the retirees to keep their medications
safe from others in the boxes, which have a
combination lock on them.
On the way home from the meeting, Moyer
had a brainstorm.
"I thought that would be a good idea to give
the boxes out at our practices," Moyer said. "If
nothing else, it brings up the awareness that
you need to keep track of your medicines, and
keep them in a safe place."
Moyer took the idea to her practice meeting,
and she also shared the idea with other Patient
Partners in Lancaster County. As a result, WellSpan acquired 50 of the boxes from the district
attorney's office, and practices are giving them
out to patients in Lancaster County.
"There is a lot to think about," Moyer said. "I
never realized all of the things a practice does. I
really enjoy being a Patient Partner and giving
ideas on how to make care better.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Spring 2017