It’s an honor to start a new job where the work is important and the people are wonderful. Here are a few observations from my Friday emails to our team.
December 17: On Thursday, I shadowed one of our nurses and met a 5-year-old boy braving four shots and an older patient receiving a vitamin B12 injection. I also shadowed two physical exams and a visit with a patient complaint of a mysterious rash on the arms. The next day, I saw the beginning of several visits with one of the medical assistants, as they roomed patients, took vitals, facilitated labs, and administered a vaccine. While a primary care visit looks simple, there are MANY moving parts. Even the best workflows can break down without a consistent, well-trained, diligent team. Staff departures create a sense of loss. They impact patient care. And the reality is that finding and training new team members is very expensive.
January 10: I spent time in the vision department this week. It was fantastic. We have a lot of energetic and capable optometry students! I joined a provider for visits with two patients, both of whom preferred to be served in Spanish. Did you know that if you have uncorrected vision (e.g. 20/50) for many years and then get corrective lenses, they may not work because your brain is not ready to process these new, crisp images? Unfortunately, some patients go for years without vision care and are in this position. Also, this week, Dental shared some great news: We are one of the leading health centers in all of Massachusetts (#2 in fact) in applying sealants. This cavity prevention work is an important step toward a healthier mouth (and body) for life.
January 17: I joined the pharmacy’s team meeting last week. They are amazingly busy, not simply with filling prescriptions but also managing the e-prescribing work queue (for example, patient refill messages) and prior authorizations. More than 70% of all the prescriptions we write are filled at our pharmacy, which speaks to the trust we have built between providers and pharmacy and to patient satisfaction with our service.
January 24: There are a lot of people in our country who feel less safe than they did one week ago. This week, I watched a little girl and her mom walk to the lab and wondered, was that little girl born here? What about her mom? Could they be separated? I reflected on the patients and members of our employee team who are gay, lesbian, or transgender and feel less safe and less loved by their country than last month. What has not changed is what we believe. Our mission is clear. What is more important than ever is that we work together as one team. Assume the best intentions. Lift each other up.
Matt Mullaney – CEO – Charles River Community Health
