Coordinated care is vital to patients
Published 2:07 pm Thursday, March 7, 2013
In reference to the letter regarding the patient-physician relationship, we’d like to clarify some statements made that might lead to erroneous conclusions. (Wednesday, “Asking patients to switch docs wrong.”)
At Providence Medical Group, we believe that coordination of care is vital, as it produces better, more efficient and safer care. For that reason, Providence has invested nearly $1 billion to install an electronic health record system that is shared across the entire Providence health-care system. This means no matter where a patient is seen within Providence — from their primary care physician to their specialist, to the emergency room, to the hospital, even the lab and pharmacy — they have a single, accurate, up-to-date electronic health record that is immediately accessible by every caregiver.
As professionals entrusted with the health and well-being of those we serve, we feel a moral obligation to inform our patients of the advantages of a single, shared electronic health record. It’s important that our patients understand the choices they have, and that by choosing Providence for their health-care needs, they can have the security and confidence that a single electronic health record affords. In fact, for some patients — like those with heart disease — sharing a single electronic health record between the primary care physician, the cardiologist, and if necessary, the emergency room, cardiac surgeons, and the hospital itself may be a matter of life and death.
While we feel ethically bound to inform our patients of their health-care choices, and the potential implications of such, we respect their informed decision to receive care from any provider or venue of acceptable quality.
At Providence, we’re proud of the health-care system we’ve designed. For cardiology patients, it means coordinated care every step of the way, from the hospital that’s received more local, regional and national recognition than any other program in the Puget Sound.
Thomas J. Yetman, MD, MMM, FACOG
Chief Executive Officer
Jeff Hambleton, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Providence Medical Group — Northwest Washington
