During a recent checkup call with a 75-year-old male patient with a history of stroke, a VHAN RN Care Navigator talked to the patient’s wife, who spoke of feeling stressed and overwhelmed. After working full-time and serving for some time as the primary income provider, she was exhibiting classic signs of caregiver burnout—exhaustion combined with feelings of hopelessness and isolation. Read the full article to learn more about how VHAN’s Care Management team helped this caregiver navigate a difficult situation.

Modeled after VHAN’s Pediatric Behavioral Consult Line, which has fielded more than 2,000 phone calls since launching in 2018, VHAN is launching a similar line later this year to assist clinicians with adults who need behavioral health support. The new Adult Behavioral Health Consult Line will be managed by Shannon Brown, LCSW, who will be […]

During a recent Pediatrics Champion Call, Kylie Cormier, MD, from Old Harding Pediatrics Associates (OHPA), shared best practices for capturing a yearly chlamydia screening from eligible patients. This important screening is part of the pediatric modifier for 2022, and it is also a required quality measure for many payors. Dr. Cormier and her colleagues have streamlined the screening process, while ensuring that patients and parents feel as comfortable as possible.

VHAN’s Pediatric Behavioral Health Consult Line is a vital benefit for pediatric providers, connecting practices to licensed clinical social workers who help customize patient care plans, navigate community resources and provide guidance on screening tools. Since launching the consult line in 2018, VHAN social workers have fielded more than 2,000 calls—an impressive milestone.

As COVID-19 cases begin to increase again in the region, new outpatient treatment options are available that may lessen the severity of infection and reduce patients’ chances of being hospitalized or dying from the virus. VHAN encourages its members and their staff to learn more about these options to help educate themselves, their family members and their patients about their availability. Making use of these treatment options will be powerful in keeping COVID-positive patients out of the hospital, ensuring beds remain available for patients needing care of all kinds.

For every 10 people who visit a doctor, it’s estimated that seven are seeking care for behavioral health-related reasons, such as depression, anxiety, diabetes management, weight loss or substance abuse. VHAN’s Care Management team facilitates collaborative care that is designed to bridge the gap between physical and mental health care, delivering the right kind of care where and when it is needed.

Recently, VHAN Social Workers were able to create a coordinated plan for psychiatric care, anger management and medication management while providing a patient with the support and encouragement he needed to take proactive steps to manage his physical and mental health.

Currently, 19.86% of adults in the United States are experiencing a mental illness—equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, VHAN has compiled a list of tools we offer to our members, many of whom are helping patients navigate a mental health disorder or dealing with increased stress and anxiety themselves.  

VHAN’s Care Management team of registered nurses, Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE), social workers, pharmacists and Care Navigators work together every day to address the physical, mental, spiritual and social needs of patients. Recently, the team applied multidisciplinary efforts to help a patient heal from a hospital stay while simultaneously recovering from a personal tragedy—a fire that took her home and most of her belongings. Read the full article to learn more about how VHAN can help patients manage their health through the most difficult times.

To improve Erlanger Health System’s (EHS) AWV completion rate and deliver vital preventive care, the Erlanger Medical Group (EMG) quality team implemented an Annual Wellness Visit template and clinical education program in 2018. Since implementing the new process, Erlanger has experienced a year-over-year increase in total Medicare AWVs. Read the article to leverage best practices from the EMG quality team.