Jessa Dunivan Highlights the Various Members of Care Teams

The care team is made up of a number of members, who work together to uncover and then address any barriers that patients have, said Jessa Dunivan, patient services manager, Northwest Medical Specialties.

Transcript

What should a care team look like? Who should it include?

Right now, what that team really looks like at its core are the medical oncologists, the mid-level providers, our social workers, the patient care coordinators, the financial counselors. When we all get together, we’re able to help uncover and then address any barriers that those patients have, whether its transportation or psychosocial issues, or just trouble navigating appointments, you know helping to make appointments or dealing with the insurance company. The care team really works hard to bring all those pieces together so that the patient can focus on being well and going through this without burden.

Does the patient meet with each member of the care team? Or is there one person who is the point of contact?

The patient does what they do naturally, so they’ll come in, they’ll see the doctor. The doctor will do their evaluation and put together their plan for the patient. But maybe there’s information in the chart that was documented that said something as simple as the patient is experiencing distress today. That would be a trigger to the care coordinator to reach out to the social workers to conduct a distress or depression screening. Based on that information the social will take his or her lead from that information and then the information comes together as a whole.

So, the care coordinators really work behind the scenes to make sure that we’re turning over every stone for that patient, to make sure that nothing is missed. Then we’re engaging the right people at the right time in order to make sure that that patient has everything that they need.