Updated services for elderly at UHS CMH
NORWICH – While aging is an inevitable part of life that all face, staff at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital say they are taking the necessary strides to ensure they remain at the forefront when it comes to caring for the area's aging population.
In the past, area geriatric patients had been limited to the access of age-specific services because of a lack of specialists trained in caring for the elderly. According to Dr. Drake Lamen, President/CEO of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, most of the geriatrics that have been offered to area patients have been handled at the nursing home level.
“Unfortunately, for a number of years, our community has not had an outpatient practice that focuses on the field of geriatrics,” said Lamen. “Dr. James Simcoe and Nurse Practitioner Patricia Mitchell have addressed the inpatient care of that demographic, but we haven't had an outpatient practice for people of geriatric age who live at home, which is the fastest growing segment of the local population.
Lamen noted that of that population, about 90-95 percent of those live at home. “Its been one of my goals to increase the level of service that we're able to provide by establishing a specific primary care for the over 65 crowd that balances their unique healthcare needs and location here in Chenango County.”
Broadening the scope of practice amongst the age groups served, reorganization and coordination are the three main focuses to the changes taking place at the expanded primary health care practice center at UHS Chenango Memorial.
The portion of the the Newton Ave. building that once housed the CMH Walk-in Center was rededicated to accommodate the geriatric specific expansion of UHS Chenango's primary care practice.
Lamen said, “Expanding access and convenience for our patients is at the heart of the changes we are making. Our plans in 2014 include increasing access to primary care in several ways because we believe that having regular, consistent primary care with appropriate follow-up is essential to every person’s health. Access to convenient primary care will also help our patients avoid unnecessary urgent care visits.”
Specially trained medical staff must have the ability to confront the unique challenges of geriatric patients, such as activities of daily living, maintaing independence and physical strength as long as possible, and proper nutrition. Among the new professionals are Mushtaq Sheikh, MD, an experienced geriatrician; and Pat Mitchell Bowman, FNP, a nurse practitioner with extensive geriatrics experience. Both are staffing a new UHS Geriatrics practice at 4 Newton Ave. in Norwich.
“We are very happy to add this new specialty practice to serve the special healthcare needs of seniors in the Norwich area,” said Lamen.
“The majority of Doctors care for geriatric patients as their patients age, but some physicians have concentrated on the aging population and have been better trained in caring for the elderly such as those with cognitive impairments and early onset Alzheimer’s disease,” Lamen added.
Two other experienced primary care providers, Mahmoud Fathalla, MD, and Tom Burkert, PA, also have joined the complement of primary care providers in the local UHS Primary Care offices.
Lamen said, “We are very pleased to offer our patients a Saturday morning Convenience Clinic at 4 Newton Avenue, in Norwich from 9 a.m. to noon beginning on Saturday, January 18.”
The Saturday Convenience Clinic will serve both pediatric and adult patients by appointment. UHS Primary Care practices have also expanded office hours in some locations so that patients will be able to have earlier morning and later evening appointments.
“We really want to ensure that people are addressing their healthcare needs on a regular basis with an emphasis on convenience, continuity and communication with their healthcare providers,” said Chris Kisacky, Vice President of Operations at UHS Chenango Memorial. “In order for us to make this work for our patients, we are asking them to call for an appointment. We will do our best to get them in to see a provider the day they call.”
In the past, area geriatric patients had been limited to the access of age-specific services because of a lack of specialists trained in caring for the elderly. According to Dr. Drake Lamen, President/CEO of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, most of the geriatrics that have been offered to area patients have been handled at the nursing home level.
“Unfortunately, for a number of years, our community has not had an outpatient practice that focuses on the field of geriatrics,” said Lamen. “Dr. James Simcoe and Nurse Practitioner Patricia Mitchell have addressed the inpatient care of that demographic, but we haven't had an outpatient practice for people of geriatric age who live at home, which is the fastest growing segment of the local population.
Lamen noted that of that population, about 90-95 percent of those live at home. “Its been one of my goals to increase the level of service that we're able to provide by establishing a specific primary care for the over 65 crowd that balances their unique healthcare needs and location here in Chenango County.”
Broadening the scope of practice amongst the age groups served, reorganization and coordination are the three main focuses to the changes taking place at the expanded primary health care practice center at UHS Chenango Memorial.
The portion of the the Newton Ave. building that once housed the CMH Walk-in Center was rededicated to accommodate the geriatric specific expansion of UHS Chenango's primary care practice.
Lamen said, “Expanding access and convenience for our patients is at the heart of the changes we are making. Our plans in 2014 include increasing access to primary care in several ways because we believe that having regular, consistent primary care with appropriate follow-up is essential to every person’s health. Access to convenient primary care will also help our patients avoid unnecessary urgent care visits.”
Specially trained medical staff must have the ability to confront the unique challenges of geriatric patients, such as activities of daily living, maintaing independence and physical strength as long as possible, and proper nutrition. Among the new professionals are Mushtaq Sheikh, MD, an experienced geriatrician; and Pat Mitchell Bowman, FNP, a nurse practitioner with extensive geriatrics experience. Both are staffing a new UHS Geriatrics practice at 4 Newton Ave. in Norwich.
“We are very happy to add this new specialty practice to serve the special healthcare needs of seniors in the Norwich area,” said Lamen.
“The majority of Doctors care for geriatric patients as their patients age, but some physicians have concentrated on the aging population and have been better trained in caring for the elderly such as those with cognitive impairments and early onset Alzheimer’s disease,” Lamen added.
Two other experienced primary care providers, Mahmoud Fathalla, MD, and Tom Burkert, PA, also have joined the complement of primary care providers in the local UHS Primary Care offices.
Lamen said, “We are very pleased to offer our patients a Saturday morning Convenience Clinic at 4 Newton Avenue, in Norwich from 9 a.m. to noon beginning on Saturday, January 18.”
The Saturday Convenience Clinic will serve both pediatric and adult patients by appointment. UHS Primary Care practices have also expanded office hours in some locations so that patients will be able to have earlier morning and later evening appointments.
“We really want to ensure that people are addressing their healthcare needs on a regular basis with an emphasis on convenience, continuity and communication with their healthcare providers,” said Chris Kisacky, Vice President of Operations at UHS Chenango Memorial. “In order for us to make this work for our patients, we are asking them to call for an appointment. We will do our best to get them in to see a provider the day they call.”
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