Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1488824
to patients from Canada, Pennsylvania and everywhere in between. PANDEMIC-PROVEN CARE As it was for all healthcare facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. But in time, the stresses of the pandemic also offered growth opportunities that ultimately improved how they provided nephrology care. "The pandemic changed a lot of what we do — especially during the early stages when everything shut down," says Antoine A za r, MD, nephrologist a nd interna l medicine physician with Nephrolog y Associates of Syracuse, P.C. and Medical Director of the DaVita Dialysis Clinics in Syracuse and Ithaca. "We had to impro- vise, to find ways to see kidney patients and ensure they remained stable during unstable times." While much of the world shut down, that wasn't an option for the practice. W hen ser ving patients with chronic kidney failure (CKD), closing the doors — even temporarily — could be disastrous. However, some patients started to miss necessary appointments because they were afraid of contracting COVID-19. That 's when the orga nization imple- mented some creative solutions. I n a dd it ion t o set t i n g up v i r t u a l visits, the group established alternate, sta nda lone blood test locations that allowed patients to receive necessary tests near their homes, with minimal interaction with others. All visitors and staff were required to wear masks and be screened upon arrival. The results were forwarded to Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C., for review, and a nephrol- ogist discussed the results with patients in the office or via video conference. Most patients have returned to in-per- son visits, where extra precautionary steps continue to be in place, as kidneys ca n suf fer substa ntia l da ma ge from COV ID -19, pa r ticu la rly a mong ICU patients placed on ventilators. Patients remain isolated from others throughout their visit, reducing their infection risk. Telemedicine is available for patients who cannot make in-person appointments. PRIORITIZING VALUE-BASED CARE Today, nea rly $114 bi l l ion (20%) of Medicare spending goes toward kidney disease care, according to CMS. Value- based programs are designed to reduce the cost of care to patients with CKD and improve the quality of care they receive, ultimately reducing hospita lizations and readmissions. Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. makes sure every laboratory test ordered is necessary and that patients receive the appropriate when and where they need it. An essential element of delivering value-based care is coordination. "In general, Syracuse-based providers do a good job of coordinating care amongst hospitals and physicians from the moment of discharge until the patient returns to the clinician's office," Dr. Chaffin says. " But ever y step a long the way could use improvement." One of those improvements is rooted in better communication, particularly with the release of ICD-10, the medical coding system that ma kes condition recordkeeping more specific. CKD coding is more fragmented, and diagnostic details require even more specif icity. W hile certainly helpful for improving patient outcomes, inputting so much more data is time-consuming. To improve the speed and specificity of data entry, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. modified its software. The IT improvement can now more accurately describe a patient's condi- tion, enhance the patient transition from hospital to office setting, and improve the ability to predict potential expense and real-world risk of future events. IDENTIFYING RISK OF RAPID DECLINE Until recently, clinicians who attempted t o pred ic t k id ney f u nc t ion decl i ne couldn't be 100% certain. Nephrolog y Michele Saunders, Lab Technician Julie Trexler, Lab Technician NEPHROLOGY A SSOCIATE S OF Syracuse, P.C. diagnose and treat the following conditions: + Acute kidney conditions + Anemia management + Autoimmune disease of kidneys + Blood pressure management + Chronic kidney disease (all stages) + Diabetic nephropathy + Electrolyte abnormalities + Glomerulonephritis + Metabolic bone disease management + Polycystic kidney disease + Renal-related diabetes management + Renal transplant care, pre- and post-transplant M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A L N E W Y O R K n 2 0 2 3 0 7