Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Winter 2020-21

Conneaut Family Health Center Elaina Williams, DO Tanya Burdick, NP Primary care ACMC’S 2019 COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT shows Ashtabula County has a shortage of primary care providers (PCPs). According to County Health Rankings, there is one PCP per 2,890 residents here, compared to one PCP per 1,300 residents across the state. Increasing access to primary care has been a key objective for ACMC. In January 2020, primary care teams were created in ACMC’s Conneaut Family Health Center and Geneva Family Health Center. The same team model expanded to Jefferson Family Health Center in October. Seamless care The team model pairs a physician with a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant. They share patients and collaborate to coordinate care and treatment. The team model has enabled more patients to become established with a primary care physician, while at the same time keeping same-day access open when patients need to be seen for a sudden illness or injury. Having a regular primary care provider enables the patient and provider to develop a relationship—the provider gets to know the patient not just as a patient, but also as a person. It also helps ensure that important testing is not overlooked, such as a mammogram for women when they reach age 40 or a colonoscopy for patients at age 50, because the same provider—or team of providers—is reviewing the medical record each time the patient is seen. Here when you need us Because becoming sick isn’t something anyone plans for, our Family Health Centers will continue to offer same-day services for their patients. The difference is patients now call to make a same-day appointment rather than just walk in. Individuals who request a same-day appointment, who aren’t already an established patient in that practice, will be asked if they’d also like to schedule a new patient appointment with the doctor. They will still be able to see the nurse practitioner or physician assistant that day for the same-day appointment. Geneva Family Health Center Emily Cheich, DO Kathleen Shontz, NP Jefferson Family Health Center Patients now have care teams in Conneaut, Geneva, and Jefferson CONNECT WITH YOUR CARE TEAM! To schedule a same-day or new patient appointment at Family Health Centers in Conneaut, Geneva or Jefferson, call 440-997-6969 . Andi Tirounilacandin, MD Kristyn Heagerty, PA Peggie Reinhardt, FNP ACMC Pulse • acmchealth.org 11