Franciscan Health’s Post

Ontario bringing more internationally trained doctors to underserviced regions   Through the government’s Practice Ready Program, up to 100 internationally trained doctors will be welcomed in rural and northern communities. Participants in the program are internationally educated physicians. They are required to complete a 12-week assessment to ensure they meet the requirements to practice medicine in the province, per the Sarnia Observer.   The assessment includes training in all aspects of rural family medicine including emergency department, hospital, doctor’s office, as well as long-term and home care settings. Participants are then required to complete a three-year return of service as a family doctor in a rural or northern community. Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the program “breaks down barriers for highly skilled, internationally educated doctors with experience practising family medicine by removing the requirement to complete unnecessary re-education programs in exchange for a return of service in a rural or northern community.”   The government believes as many as 120,000 patients will be connected to primary health care through the program. “We are proud of the progress we have been able to make, and we know there is more that can be done to continue to close the gap for the people in Ontario not currently connected to a primary-care practitioner, and our government is taking that action,” Minister Jones said.   According to the Ontario College of Family Physicians, nearly 2.5-million – around 15% of Ontarians – are without a family doctor.

Using our HIPAA-compliant app, we collaborate with surgeons, emergency room staff, pharmacists, critical care teams, and nurses. This partnership continually provides us with valuable insights into enhancing patient communication. Our mission is to empower healthcare providers with the tools they need to document clinic visits and confidently foster patient trust. Trust Plays a Pivotal Role in Healthcare, Especially when considering the psychological and neurological dynamics. When patients place their faith in a healthcare provider, they open themselves to influence, allowing the provider's insights, wisdom, and recommended treatment options to guide their care. From the outset, healthcare professionals must recognize that many patients approach medical interactions with inherent distrust, often due to past negative experiences. This initial skepticism, akin to a "caveman" mindset, can hinder healing. For instance, individuals diagnosed with cancer may experience an intense emotional reaction that can result in amnesia, a state where fear overwhelms their ability to process and retain information. The brain's defense mechanisms kick in in such situations, prioritizing self-preservation over cognitive absorption. Understanding these neurological reactions is crucial. When patients are distrustful, their brain activity reflects heightened anxiety, reducing receptivity and increasing fear. This state of mind prevents them from fully engaging with their healthcare provider, which can impede decision-making and adherence to treatment plans. Learn More about our Blog: https://lnkd.in/g_7QjQzf #MedicalMemory #PerformanceVideoAI #SalesCoaching #CommunicationSkills #AIIntegration #TrainingOptimization #VideoCoaching #TrainingWithTech #TrainerTips #ResidentProgram #VideoAI #ImproveCommunication #StrategicInsights #UnlockSuccess #ProviderScores #ConversationalAnalysis #PerformanceVideoAI #CommunicationSkills #TrainingOptimization #VideoCoaching #TrainerTips #VideoAI #ElevateSales #ImproveCommunication #ConversationalAnalysis #SalesCoaching

The American College of Physicians (#ACP) leadership met with U.S. lawmakers to discuss their health policy priorities. 1. Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (H.R. 2389), which would increase the number of Medicare-supported graduate medical education programs by 2,000 positions a year for 7 years. 2. Physician Fee Schedule Update and Improvements Act (H.R. 6545), which would raise the threshold for implementing budget-neutral payment cuts from $20 million to $53 million and provide an increased threshold update every 5 years based on the Medicare Economic Index. 3. Safe Step Act (H.R. 2630), which would reform step therapy. #steptherapy #CMS #Medicare #PFS #PhysicianFeeSchedule #policyreform #doctors #MedicareEconomicIndex #MedicarePaymentCuts #USLawmakers #healthpolicy #healthcare #patientsfirst #patients #SafeStepAct #medication #rheumatology https://lnkd.in/eDhNtERH

The Alarming Decline of Patient-Centered Care in Our Healthcare System: A Call to Action! As a clinical pharmacist who transitioned into medical writing, I specialize in continuing medical education with a focus on managed care and patient-centered care. Yet, I am deeply concerned about the decline in personalized care within our healthcare system, especially for the geriatric population. My recent experience with my elderly parent’s care has been both heartbreaking and eye-opening. Despite being a patient advocate and aware of the importance of collaborative decision-making, I was stunned by the lack of attention and empathy shown during my parent's hospital stay. Dismissed as just another “elderly patient with dementia,” his symptoms were overlooked, leading to a misdiagnosed stroke. Repeated requests for further evaluation, including an MRI, were ignored, resulting in catastrophic delays. This is not an isolated incident. Today, healthcare providers are drowning in paperwork and rigid protocols, losing precious time for ACTUAL patient care. We must ask ourselves: How can we champion individualized treatment when bureaucracy stands in the way? It's time to return to the core of medicine—treating each patient as a unique individual, not just a number. We owe it to our patients, our providers, and ourselves. #geriatric #healthcare #healthinsurance

It is these breaks in the process that impact both patient and nurse experience, as well as patient outcomes. Regina M. Clark, CSP, I'm so sorry that you had that experience, and so grateful that you are okay. The breaks in process are what prompted Dina Readinger, EMBAand I to host the nurse leader listening tour, and collaborate with 26 professionals to write #HealingHealthcare Evidence-Based Strategies to Mend Our Broken System. Broken processes require vetted solutions; I know that you will add incredible value to your nursing audience. https://lnkd.in/e_79K5RU

Provider burnout This article is talks about the time and effort to document that is taking a burden on our healthcare providers: doctors, advanced practitioners, nurses, etc. I had a client that I assisted by watching documentation of online appointments. The extensive documentation was definitely a burden on the providers. And then I saw a couple of providers who streamlined their documentation – it was poetry. They had all the facts and nothing but the facts. The narrative was crisp, clean, and easy to follow. When I was doing chart reviews, clean and digestible notes were such a gift. The long narratives full of direct quotes were not as helpful. I once had a packet of 5 medical appointments to review - it was 105 pages due to duplicated information and lots of cut and paste from previous appointments. And yes, I read the entire thing. If you work with providers or know providers who are struggling with the burden of over documentation, please consider the opportunity to demonstrate respect for people by fixing this issue. There are resources available. And, I would be honored to be of assistance. #mossadams #ronaconsultinggroup #rcg #walkwithgrace #ehr #qualityimprovement #ehroverdocumentation #burnout #healthcare #lean #processimprovement https://lnkd.in/gDpQMDZa

One of the complaints I hear often from patients is how difficult it can be to go through a hospitalization. In truth, you need to be a very healthy person to deal with the conditions and treatment: → Wake ups at 5am for blood tests → 7am nurse visits followed by 11am doctor rounds → Frequent trips for imaging and diagnostics → Poor food, and lack of comfortable spaces → Not to mention that you're in an unfamiliar setting, away from family Now, with the use of digital medicine, most conditions can be treated at home. Beilinson - Rabin Medical Center now has some Internal Medicine departments at home where Physicians see patients every day, nurses twice a day, and the team is in constant communication and monitors patients just like in the hospital. The only difference is that they're at home – eating their own food, wearing their own clothes, and sleeping in their own beds. Hospitalization at home has the potential to be the next frontier in medical treatment. Here's why: → Reduces the cost of testing, treatments, and accommodations → Personalized medicine will make hospitalization at home more necessary → and beneficial → Increases the comfort of patients → Research has even shown that patients improve faster at home than in the hospital Once company that is revolutionizing hospitalization at home is TytoCare, who works with leading health plans and providers to roll out home solutions that enable accessible, high-quality primary care from home. This includes remote physical exams that work across primary care modalities and can be tailored to any cohort or population. Image: TytoCare

"A clinical dashboard that continually pushes information out to the caregivers allows the residents’ caregivers to be more efficient, recognizes the savings and projects which resident needs more or less staff time, and recognizes how much total time is required." This week, Tom Coble, Chief Strategy Officer of American Health Plans, discussed how his American Health Plans teams use clinical dashboard data to make clinical decisions for their patients in the Skilled Nursing News Executive Interview Series, “The Clinical Dashboard.” Click the link below to read the full article.

The Silent Struggle: The Unseen Realities of General Practice As a former trainee in Emergency Medicine and Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU), I have witnessed the harrowing and often heroic efforts of hospital doctors who labor tirelessly through night shifts, battling life-threatening conditions with unwavering determination. However, it is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of duty that I write to shed light on the often-overlooked plight of General Practitioners (GPs) – the cornerstone of our healthcare system. In the shadows of their hospital counterparts, GPs have silently shouldered the burden of an ever-increasing workload, driven by a commitment to patient care that goes far beyond the scope of their official duties. This quiet endurance stems from a misplaced sense of inferiority, a belief that their contributions are somehow less significant because they do not contend with the immediate life-and-death scenarios seen in hospital wards. This perception is not only unjust but also dangerously misleading. The reality of general practice today is far more brutal than it appears. GPs are the frontline defenders of our communities' health, providing holistic, continuous care that spans the entire spectrum of human ailments. They are the ones who manage chronic diseases, offer preventive care, and provide the first line of defense against emerging health threats. Yet, they do this in an environment that is increasingly unsustainable. The pressures faced by GPs are multifaceted. Administrative tasks have ballooned, leaving less time for direct patient care. The emotional toll of being the first point of contact for patients' anxieties and fears is immense. Furthermore, the financial compensation does not reflect the complexity and scope of their responsibilities. This discrepancy must be addressed urgently. The Fuller Stocktake Model's vision of hub-based care, which reallocates funding from individual practices to Primary Care Networks (PCNs), is a step in the wrong direction. This approach risks dismantling the personal touch that defines general practice. By distributing sub-standard staff across multiple practices, we erode the sense of belonging and continuity that patients and practitioners alike depend on. A sense of belonging is not a luxury; it is essential for the delivery of compassionate and effective care.