between physicians, hospitals
and other providers can help
with preventive care, quality
improvement and cost reductions,
Gizdic says.
“We have to improve quality
while reducing the overall
cost of health care, and that
is a sea change in the industry
… That is definitely part of
the strategy of placing primary
care further out into
the community,” Gizdic says.
“Getting your primary care
in the emergency room is not
something that’s sustainable
going into the future.”
Technology is part of the
equation. New Hanover
Regional Medical Center
has NHRMC Connect, an
Epic-based electronic health
records system that stores
and shares secure patient
information.
“That is certainly a very
important piece of improving
care and reducing costs, in
a way that we don’t have to
duplicate tests and a way for
providers to be able to
collaborate,” Gizdic says.
Wilmington Health uses
the Humedica MinedShare
data mining software, which
James says can help doctors
conduct predictive modeling
to better understand the
health of specific high-risk
groups, such as patients with
diabetes or heart conditions.
“A little bit of the cost on
the front end will make a big
difference in a lot of costs in
technology and medications,
particularly in subspecialty
care, on the back end,”
Sylvestri says of preventive
care. “Better control of diabetes
so they don’t get the diabetic
complications, better control
of cholesterol so people do not
get coronary disease, but also
social things that can be done,
whatever we can do to get
people not to smoke.”
More than convenience matters.
Accessibility is not always
the main draw for patients.
“Most patients are delighted
to hear that we have additional
locations and that
they can get the care more
conveniently,” DeBiasi says
of OrthoWilmington. “At the
same time there are patients
… willing to drive several
hours to get to our office.
Every patient is different.”
Toria Campbell drives
about 50 miles from Rose
Hill to see Brannin at
Wilmington Health. There
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WBM january 2013
are more choices here, says
Campbell, 53, who has
multiple health issues that
include high blood pressure
and a thyroid condition.
“She listens, looks at the
whole picture,” Campbell says.
Campbell, a mother of
two grown children and a
fine arts student at Cape
Fear Community College,
acknowledges letting her
health go in recent years.
“I’m trying to get back on
track,” says Campbell, who
is retired from the television
business. “I was focusing too
much on my kids and not
enough on me … I can’t help
them if I’m not around.”
Brannin, who is listening,
says that is one of the main
points she tries to make.
“You can’t take care of
someone else if you’re not
taking care of yourself,”
Brannin says.
Advances in technology allow healthcare providers to share data and treat patients remotely.