UMC Health System - Physician Notes

PRIMARY C ARE PROVIDERS typically direct long-term diabetes care, but they often lack the time and resources to manage the many components of the disease, including glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol control, as well as a variety of complications. Open since last fall, the UMC Diabetes Center — located in Medical Office PlazaII on the UMC campus — is a destination for comprehensive diabetes medicine that can ease primary care providers' burden of managing a complex disease. "Our community health needs assessment identified diabetes care as an urgent health need for our region," said Mike Ragain, M.D., M.S.Ed, chief medical officer at UMC. "We needed a facility that could address complicated diabetes patients in a formal, systematic way." UMC Diabetes Center internists Robert Bisbee, M.D., and Shannon Yarbrough, M.D., along with two nurse practitioners, provide management, screenings, lifestyle education, and referrals for nutrition counseling. e center is home to an insulin pump clinic, a rare service in many primary care settings. "e UMC Diabetes Center's team-based, guideline-oriented, proactive approach to diabetes management is a state-of-the-art way to care for patients," Dr. Ragain said. "It is a great resource for them and their providers." THE UMC DIABETES CENTER IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 8A.M.TO 5 P.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 806.761.0540. A NEW MODEL OF HOW YOU CONVERSE WITH YOUR PATIENTS PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN DETERMINING THE RESULTS OF THEIR TREATMENT. S TUDIES SHOW THAT if patients have an effective dialogue with their physicians, they are more likely to understand and comply with care and experience successful outcomes. However, in a time of internet diagnoses and packed clinician schedules, having meaningful conversations with patients is more difficult than ever. Use these tips to hone your ability to engage with the individuals in your care: + Listen first, speak second. At the beginning of the encounter, allow the patient to tell his or her full story without interruption. If you don't get a complete description of the patient's problem, you might miss an important detail that could aid diagnosis. + Ask questions. Pose inquiries that go beyond learning about the patient's symptoms. Try to better understand his or her beliefs, home environment and family relationships, which could inform your recommendations. + Welcome questions. Establish what he or she knows about his or her condition so you can fill informational gaps and clear up misconceptions. + Mind what you don't say. Body language conveys as much about interest and attentiveness as words. Lean forward, maintain eye contact, and don't cross your arms, which suggests impatience. + Speak like a patient, not a physician. Explain diagnoses and treatments as plainly as possible. Pause often to let information sink in. Ask frequently if the patient understands your instructions, and request he or she repeat or explain them to you. + Put yourself in your patient's shoes. Empathy should form the bedrock of every patient interaction. If it's lacking, the patient will know, and the relationship will suffer. With Care THE UMC HEALTH SYSTEM DIABETES CENTER PROVIDES A CHRONIC CARE APPROACH TO DISEASE MANAGEMENT THAT IS RARELY POSSIBLE IN CLINICAL SET TINGS THAT PRIORITIZE TREATMENT OF ACUTE ILLNESS. COMMUNICATE MANAGEMENT DIABETES UMCHE ALTHSYSTEM.COM 3

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