VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/121390
8A NURSING P Patti Berry Chief Nursing Officer HealthCare Partners Nevada atti Berry knows of the many details in life that often go overlooked when we assume too much. That can also be said in the fast-paced world of health care, where, for example, we assume someone has the means to get to the doctor's office for an appointment. Thankfully, Southern Nevada has people like Berry, a 37-year nursing veteran, to keep an eye on the details in health care delivery. As HealthCare Partners Nevada's chief nursing officer, Berry oversees about 150 employees. More importantly, she is a very active participant in what the multi-specialty group refers to as "patient-focused coordinated care," an effort that goes far beyond managing a network of quality physicians. About seven years ago, HealthCare Partners instituted its Total Care Model in Southern Nevada. Berry, along with other team members, created a system that uses nurses as care managers who help patients make appointments, remind them of up-coming appointments, as well as finds transportation if needed. "For older patients, especially, they sometimes won't go to their doctor's appointments, they won't pick up their medication, because they have transportation issues. People don't realize this," Berry said. Her team also frequently educates patients on their insurance benefits, some of which offer programs that link patients with transportation options. And in cases where there is no benefit, Total Care social workers can find other programs to fill the need. These social workers also can introduce patients to a wide range of financial, prescription and other subsidies they may not realize are available to them. Total Care brings plenty more to the service table, like follow up courtesy calls after and even during hospital visits, prescription refill reminders, coordinated hospital care, home health services and outpatient treatments. Initially, the program was geared toward seniors. But it is open to all HealthCare Partners patients. "I look at it as VIP medicine. It's something a patient doesn't have to pay for," she said. "If a patient is 75 and not feeling well today and their prescription is running low, they can call a care manager and be talking directly to a nurse. Action can be taken immediately." Removing some of the logistical barriers, Berry believes, helps patients take a more active role in their health and encourages them to stay on top of managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. "We exhaust every option we can to help our patients stay healthy," she said. "We place nurses in primary care offices to provide case management and disease management to our patients. It has improved thousands of patients' lives by providing coordinated and integrated care that would otherwise be unavailable to them." Berry has called Las Vegas home since 1976. A Headliner in Your Field. An Innovator in Cancer Research. She moved here after starting in the field as a medical receptionist. She then decided to advance into nursing in Southern California. She briefly worked for a pediatrics office in Long Beach before moving to the valley. Often in leadership positions as a charge nurse, she worked at Sunrise Hospital, Valley Hospital and North Vista Hospital and moved into management in 1984. In 1998, she was hired as the first clinical administrative nurse in the HealthCare Partners system. But back then its system only had five clinics. Today, the group employs 1,350 people and serves more than 300,000 patients annually at nearly 100 clinics. HealthCare Partners now has about 2,000 physicians in its system. In addition to overseeing nurses, Berry helps coordinate monthly continuing education classes that focus on specific diseases as well as patient motivation and other topics. Berry is also a board member for the Case Manager Association of Las Vegas. Her position with HealthCare Partners has allowed her to work with every single hospital in the valley. Approaching four decades of service, Berry has no plans of retiring any time soon and still enjoys making a difference in patients' lives. "I would go nuts if I retired," she said. "Even though I don't take care of patients (directly), I'm involved with consultations. … I don't feel that I'm much removed from them." —Brian Sodoma Dr. Oscar B. Goodman Jr., MD, PhD Medical Oncology/Hematology All of us at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada would like to congratulate Dr. Oscar B. Goodman Jr. for being designated the 2013 Health Care Headliner for Medical Research. As a physician-scientist, your oncology practice is helping cancer patients today, while your groundbreaking research is providing hope for a future where all cancers are treatable. 20130415_VI01_I.indd 8 4/11/13 3:12:44 PM