Jessa Dunivan Explains How the Role of Care Coordinator Has Been Influenced by Value-Based Care

Care coordinators are a support system for the clinical and the clerical teams to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks, explained Jessa Dunivan, patient services manager, Northwest Medical Specialties.

Transcript

What do you do in your role as a care coordinator?

The care coordinators are part of the value-based care team. Our job is to track and make sure that all the quality metrics are being met for our patients. What that means is we are going through and making sure that all the “I’s” are dotted, all the “T’s” are crossed and we’re basically a support system for the clinical and the clerical teams to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks. This really helps the patients because what we’re doing behind the scenes kind of alleviates a lot of the burdens that happen for the patients in trying to navigate the healthcare system on their own. So, the care coordinators are really providing linkage between the 2 systems, meaning the clinic and then the outside providers that they go to, to make sure that that transition in that continuity is smooth along the way.

How has your role evolved as healthcare moves to value-based care?

The role has evolved tremendously since we first started. Care coordination prior to value-based care really fell on the whole practice but a lot of the coordination fell onto the reception teams. Patients come into the practice and they’re seen by the doctor. The doctor will order tests and they’ll order labs and they’ll order outside consults and everything that the patient needs in order to begin that journey here with our practice. Historically, the reception teams’ tasks were making sure that all of those connections are made along the way to smoothly take care of that patient. But because of the complexity of everything that we do, it requires added layers of support in order to make sure that nothing is missed. We’re constantly circling back and making sure that nothing is left behind.