The Marshfield Clinic Minocqua Center is in the midst of a pilot project involving team care, with a goal of improving how health care is provided.
Physician Assistant Shiela Reichel says about a year ago, four providers decided to try a different approach to internal medicine. After study, they came with a model called, "Team Care". She says they started the new approach last April. She outlines the new approach...
".....we have trained the medical assistants more thoroughly and we have brought in R.N.'s in the room to give the patient a more thorough visit, some extra education at the end of the visit, and to make the visit more efficient and streamlined...."
Reichel says team members provide the physician with more information as the visit begins...
".....the Medical Assistant or RN will accompany them and report out everything the patient has told them and the provider is able to clarify. The patient is basically able to hear everything going into their medical record...."
Nationally, rural health care continues to see a shortage of primary care providers. In the traditional model, rural physicians have had difficulty finding enough time for patient care and all the other aspects of their jobs.
