Parkland network brings care to the community
Health centers provide medical home for area residents
In the 1980s, Parkland Health & Hospital System’s then CEO Ron J. Anderson, MD had a dream of bringing healthcare to underserved communities in Dallas County. His vision of healthcare for all, regardless of ability to pay, paved the way for Parkland’s Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC), a network of neighborhood-based health centers that provide a “medical home” to primarily low-income communities.
At the time Dr. Anderson had to convince skeptical hospital board members and local officials that providing clinics in Dallas’ poorest neighborhoods was the right thing to do. His vision came to fruition in 1986 when the Dallas County Commissioners Court approved a request to go forward with the COPC concept. The first COPC, East Dallas Health Center, opened in 1989 and two years later the first clinic built from the ground up, Bluitt-Flowers Health Center, opened. Today, Parkland operates a dozen COPC health centers throughout the county, making primary and preventive healthcare more accessible.
COPC staff members were among those employees celebrating Parkland’s 125 years of service to the residents of Dallas County during the month of May. It was a chance to recognize Parkland’s reach beyond the four walls of the hospital.
“Community is key to the success of the COPC program. Over the years we’ve built the program by working with community leaders and residents in what were traditionally underserved communities,” said Esmaeil Porsa, MD, Parkland’s Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy and Integration Officer. “Providing healthcare in areas where people live not only makes sense, it’s the right thing to do.”
In addition to the health centers, Parkland operates a dozen school-based clinics, a geriatric clinic and senior outreach services, the Homeless Outreach Medical Services (HOMES) program, as well as providing healthcare for the Dallas County adult and juvenile jail system. In fiscal year 2018, Parkland recorded more than 1 million outpatient visits.
“Our COPC program offers a comprehensive or holistic approach that takes into account the whole person. We understand that health begins in homes, schools, workplaces, etc. and recognize that circumstances and issues such as quality housing, access to local food markets, educational and job opportunities can impact an individual’s health and quality of life,” said Jessica Hernandez, Senior Vice President of Operations for Population Health. “We are committed to addressing the social determinants of health and have resources in the COPC’s and in our communities to assist individuals and families.”
In order to serve the growing Dallas County population, the COPC staff has developed several innovations to help increase capacity.
“At the health centers we strive to provide access to essential services on-site because it is convenient for the patient and cost-effective by virtue of focusing on prevention,” Hernandez added.
Some of the innovations that have been implemented are Parkland Connect, which is a telehealth program where patients can talk to medical professionals without having to come to a health center. During Walk-in Wednesday, patients can visit clinics in their neighborhoods for things such as flu shots and back-to-school immunizations. Today Clinics provide patients with same-day appointments, while Predictive Analytics in managing asthma can point to environmental and physical conditions that affect patients. Accountable Care Communities initiative allows Parkland in partnership with Parkland Center for Clinical Innovations or PCCI to connect patients with various non-healthcare needs to community based organizations that can meet those needs.
In addition, patients with transportation issues can “meet” with clinicians during virtual visits, and e-Consults have reduced the need for patients to wait sometimes weeks for a specialty clinic visit or to learn the next course of treatment.
One of the most successful programs has been the implementation of Shared Medical Appointments or SMAs. Parkland launched its SMA program in an effort to improve access to education and preventive care for patients with a variety of health needs, from diabetes to newborn checkups with moms. During these SMAs, a group of patients are able to not only see their primary care physician, but also have vital signs monitored by a nurse and receive educational information from a healthcare professional while learning from other patients in the group who have similar health concerns.
“Parkland is dedicated to the health and well-being of individuals and communities entrusted to our care,” Hernandez added. “That’s why it’s critically important that we continue to implement new, innovative programs to enhance the services we provide to the residents of Dallas County.”
For more information about COPC services available at Parkland, please visit https://www.parklandhospital.com/locations.
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