08/12/2020
With the opening of the newest building at the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Portsmouth Outpatient Center, Wentworth Health Partners Primary Care at Pease moved to a new space with room to enhance its services and embrace a model of care known as the Patient-Centered Medical Home.
In a Patient-Centered Medical Home, the goal is to provide patients complete care at the time of an office visit. Coordinated care is offered at every visit to promote a long-term healing relationship with your providers. For example, if you visit the office for an issue – such as lower back pain or high blood pressure – you’ll get the help you need to manage the immediate problem. And, if you choose, you’ll also get actionable steps, backed by a supportive care team, to help you adhere to your treatment plan and reach your treatment goals.
“It’s a model of care delivery with the patient at the center and a team who forms around them to promote optimal health,” says Nancy Pettinari, MD, CPE, who helped bring the Medical Home model to Wentworth Health Partners and sees its benefits daily as a physician at Wentworth Health Partners Internal Medicine in Dover. Wentworth Health Partners earned The Joint Commission’s Primary Care Medical Home Certification in 2015, the first hospital or provider group to achieve the recognition in the Seacoast region. Since then, the model has continued to take shape in our primary care practices, with the goal to help patients achieve their highest level of health.
IT MEANS TEAMWORK
A Wentworth Health Partners Medical Home is a truly personalized approach to primary care with a team taking collective responsibility for your care. Your team is responsible for coordinating your care, for both your physical and mental health, chronic conditions, and prevention and wellness to help move you towards a healthier life. “It’s empowering for patients to have a group of experts contributing to their care and focusing on their needs right in the comfortable setting of their primary care office,” explains Dr. Pettinari. “It helps patients feel more involved in their care plan, which leads to better adherence to treatments and better outcomes."
The Medical Home care team is led by your physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Based on your individual health goals, other team members may include a behavioral health consultant, ambulatory pharmacist, health coach (read more on page 1), diabetes educator, social worker, or care manager.
Maureen Brady, PharmD, BCACP, Clinical Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, says her role is an evolving one. She sees patients who have questions about their prescriptions or who want to reconcile their medication lists. She can also play an active role in helping patients manage diabetes. “Some people need extra time and attention to help control their diabetes. By having a collaborative team, we can give the patient access to the care they need without the responsibility falling entirely to the provider.”
The same is true for mental health concerns. With behavioral health consultants integrated into the primary care practice, patients can get short-term, solutions-focused therapy at the office for immediate needs, and coordinated referrals to long-term therapy, social workers, or community-based services if needed.”
As our practice continues to grow here at the Portsmouth Outpatient Center, we are excited to offer this thorough and integrated approach to care, so patients of all ages receive the most comprehensive and holistic care possible,” says Dr. George Kousaie, a physician at Primary Care at Pease.
Primary Care at Pease is a full-service practice with board-certified family and internal medicine providers, serving patients of all ages. Providers include Dr. Kousaie, Dr. Thomas Decker, Jacqueline Irzyk, APRN, and Bridget Viens, PA-C. The practice is located at the Portsmouth Outpatient Center – Building A, 67 Corporate Drive, on the Pease Tradeport.
To learn more about Wentworth Health Partners Primary Care at Pease, call (603) 610-8050 or visit our website.