Healthcare Directory

14 | 2019 Medical & Dental Directory MOBILE HEALTHCARE Name changes aren't easy in healthcare. They become synonymous with services, so changing them can lead to confusion by the public. But changes do happen and are often necessary. Cape Fear Valley Mobile Integrated Healthcare BY DONNIE BYERS may seem almost out of place where EMS logos once adorned. Pearce is confident the public will quickly adapt to the new name, however. Besides, he said, only the name changed, not the patient care quality. The department's paramedics have become a growing presence within the health system. They now work directly with everyone from primary care physicians and pharmacists, to laboratory technicians and mental health professionals. They've also become a proactive workforce under Cape Fear Valley's Community Paramedic Program. Launched in 2015, it was created to reduce readmission rates among pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure patients, in particular. Heart failure patients are often discharged from the hospital, only to be quickly readmitted after failing to properly care for their condition at home. Studies show numerous readmissions for heart failure complications can greatly increase the risk for death. "A lot of patients don't know how heart failure affects their body," said Suzanne King, AAS, CP-C. "We work with them to better understand not only their disease, but also their medication and the community resources available to them so they can better seek out treatment." King is Cape Fear Valley's Community Paramedic Coordinator. She has a staff of seven full-time paramedics who work in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, Bladen, Sampson and Harnett counties. The paramedics go to discharged patients' homes to provide routine check-ups. They also provide on-the- spot medical care and medication reviews if needed. Think of the visits as modern-day house calls. The new role is almost ironic, considering paramedics have historically rushed patients to the hospital. But the Cape Fear Valley EMS recently underwent a name change of its own and is now called Cape Fear Valley Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH). The longer name doesn't quite roll off the tongue like the old one, but it is far more fitting. Once focused on ambulance transport, the 350-person department now has a hand in everything from community mental health to flying helicopters at the health system. The shift from its original mission was necessary to meet the constantly changing needs within the healthcare industry, according to Brian Pearce, Vice President of Facilities and EMS at Cape Fear Valley Health. "We're not just an ambulance service taking patients to the hospital anymore," he said. "We're providing healthcare services integrated into a much larger healthcare picture." The decision to change names didn't come lightly. It required approval by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Cape Fear Valley Board of Trustees and then a year to fully implement. The health system quietly began rebranding its fleet of 50 ambulances and 20 support vehicles last summer. To the casual observer, the new logos

• Cover