MDNews - Greater Kansas

clinically integrated Practice and the Triple Aim of Health care J acK sheLLITo, m.d., facs, rPVI, received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, and his vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He also completed a master���s degree in medical management at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Dr. Shellito is the Chief Medical Officer of Via Christi Clinic and has practiced at Via Christi Clinic since 1985. Dr. Shellito���s father was a physician and his two brothers are physicians. He is married and has two daughters. Q What is a clinically integrated practice? A: A clinically integrated group practice is a physician-led and patient-centered practice across the continuum of care. It���s what we are striving for as we bring together physicians from the former Via Christi Medical Associates and the former Wichita Clinic to form the new Via Christi Clinic. We have an excellent foundation in that both groups already emphasized patient-centered care and a strong culture of physician leadership. Now we have the opportunity to work together to provide quality and cost-effective care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Our ability to communicate with each other through a common electronic health record (EHR) system will be a big help in achieving these goals. True integration of care is a challenge, but we are up to the challenge, and we can do it together. Q It���s a tall order, but it���s an exciting time; would you say that is accurate? Jack Shellito, M.D., FACS, RPVI 20 | Greater Kansas md news ��� mdnews.com A: It is indeed an exciting and challenging time for physicians. We are facing very rapid changes in the way we are being asked to provide care for our patients and in the way we communicate that care to each other. For physicians to buy into this rapid pace of change, they must be very involved in leading it. Implementing a common EHR system for all physicians over a period of only 18 months was a huge initiative for our organization, and one of the main reasons we succeeded was that we had tremendous physician leadership to champion that change. We worked together as a team and made it happen. Q How is being part of a clinically integrated group practice an advantage for physicians? A: I believe that physicians as individuals can become easily frustrated by all the additional work they must do to provide the best care for their patients. A truly integrated system with more standardized patient care will hopefully make a physician���s ability to provide excellent patient care easier over time. For some of the chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, if we as a group can decide how to take the best care of these patients in a standardized fashion, then we can develop a tremendously powerful tool to provide better quality care in a more efficient way. Q H ow d o e s a clinic ally integrated group practice benefit patients? A: A truly integrated practice achieves the triple aim of health care, which includes better population health, a better patient experience and more cost-effective care. In other words, we can provide our patients with quality care in a positive environment for less cost, which means a better experience on all levels. For more information about Via Christi Clinic, please call (316) 268-8060. ���

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