“Three years ago all of the primary care practices were closed to new patients,” Dubord said, adding that sick
patients who did have primary care providers often couldn’t get quick appointments if they called with an illness.
“The system was not meeting their needs.”
Now, practices try to hold open appointment slots so acutely ill patients can see someone right away. It’s not a
perfect system; things still get backed up if a provider goes on vacation or a practice is otherwise shorthanded,
but the system is more responsive than it used to be, Dubord said. Same day visits have increased 11 percent
comparing 2010 to 2014.
Another problem the health network quickly identified was patients thought if they got sick after hours they
couldn’t reach their doctor. But, in reality, the health system had physicians on call overnight who could address
patients’ concerns.
To publicize the services, the health
system began distributing magnets
with the number to call practitioners
after hours. So a parent with a
feverish child can simply call the
doctor to ask about treatments, rather
than make an evening run to the
emergency room.
To give patients more flexibility,
Franklin established a walk-in clinic,
open evenings from 7:45 p.m. to
8:45 p.m. The clinic is first-come,
first-served. In addition, the system’s
pediatric practices have extended
their hours until 6 p.m. to be more
convenient for working parents.
“Some days we see two patients,
some days we see 22,” Dubord said
of the walk-in clinic, adding that
during flu season next winter, the clinic will either be open for an additional hour or put two providers on duty.
The emergency department is also changing the way it treats patients, said Brad Gilbert, BSN, RN, W-NRP,
director of the emergency department.
“The ED is taking a community health model,” he said. The health system is making use of community
paramedics who are trained to offer patients such services as fall risk assessments and medication reconciliation
in patients’ homes. Nurses also visit patients who are discharged from the hospital. Such visits have increased
by 32 percent from 2010 to 2014.
Chris Jones, RN, with Farmington Family Practice, part of Franklin Community
Health Network, follows up with a patient. Such follow up calls can spot potential
problems before they become emergencies.
Franklin Memorial Hospital
