It’s been a difficult and challenging year for many programs and businesses; healthcare services in our country were no exception. Services at RotaCare Bay Area, like many others, had to pivot and realign to continue clinical care services to those in need. Rethinking and planning outside the box led to innovations used by the big healthcare providers in our smaller clinics.
These innovations include:
- Setting up the Athena Electronic Medical Record System to permit appointments since walk-ins are not allowed.
- Setting up video conferencing and appropriate workflows to support this technology.
- Workflow adjustments to commence upon Telehealth (telephone encounter only) appointments.
- Using the Athena Patient Portal for communications.
- Translation services on Telehealth/video conference calls.
- Quality assurance reporting for patient demographics.
Many thanks to Rotarian Ed Shenkan who aided Northern Peninsula in bringing the video conferencing to fruition; to Rotarian Laura Burrus's students who aided Northern Peninsula with translation services; and to Rotarians Jim Kennedy and Kelly Stieglitz who have been leading and running quality assurance reporting for Northern Peninsula. Thank you all for volunteering and for the lives (whom you may never see) changed in our world!
It is time to apply for grant funding for Rotary year 2021-2022. For more information, please contact me, Bob Hermann, Vice President of Community Service.