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INTEGRIS Southwest Receives Grant to Aid in the Reduction of ER Usage for Primary Care
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June 13, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY – INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center received a $50,000 grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in an effort to reduce usage of the Emergency department for primary care by uninsured patients. In a recent study of four metro hospitals, it was found that 51 percent of visits to the Emergency department could have been handled more appropriately in a physician’s office or clinic. This trend drives up health care costs, overflows emergency rooms and provides less than optimum care for patients.
The $50,000 grant will be used to help pay the salary of an Emergency department case manager at INTEGRIS Southwest. The primary responsibility of this full time employee will be to assist uninsured patients in finding a more appropriate “medical home,” using resources such as Oklahoma Community Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center located two miles south of INTEGRIS Southwest; free and reduced cost care clinics; and federal and state resources.
During the one year pilot project, behavioral pattern data will be collected and compared to the previous years to identify barriers that prevent patients from being redirected to more appropriate venues and to help educate patients with adequate information that will aid them in seeking future appropriate medical care.
Long range outcomes include shorter wait times for patients who come to the Emergency department for true emergencies, better outcomes for those who need the consistent care of a primary care physician, and cost savings to the Emergency department that will help support the effort through normal hospital operations in the future.
INTEGRIS Health owns, manages or leases hospitals, primary care clinics, mental health facilities, rehabilitation centers, fitness centers, hospice services, home health agencies and independent living centers throughout the state of Oklahoma. INTEGRIS Health is an Oklahoma-owned, not for profit corporation. Our mission is to improve the health of the people and the communities we serve. More information about INTEGRIS Health facilities and services is available on our home page at integrisOK.com or by calling the INTEGRIS HealthLine at (405) 951-2277 or toll free at 1(888) 951-2277.
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INTEGRIS Health Corporate Communications
3030 N.W. Expressway
Suite 1620
Oklahoma City, 73112
(405) 951-4826 |
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