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A Note From Dr. Tomsik
Nobel Peace Prize winner and peace movement advocate Jane Addams once said, "The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life." This sense of community or 'common life' is what drives all of us at North Coast Health Ministry. It is, I suspect, the driver for our many volunteers and supporters as well. Caring for the uninsured has become increasingly difficult in our current economy. Our number of new patients continues to grow at a brisk rate. This is evident by the number of people calling to inquire about our services. The conditions we are treating are becoming more and more complicated as more previously insured patients with multiple chronic illnesses are entering into the uninsured population. Our economy has left many people in situations they never dreamed of or prepared for. We are seeing patients on a daily basis who state that they have always worked and do not know what to do since losing their jobs; people who say they never before have had to deal with lack of insurance or lack of financial security. I have had patients tell me that they have seriously contemplated choosing homelessness to escape current financial and relationship stressors. We are making a difference for the many patients who seek our care - we are keeping people out of the hospital and are providing relief to some desperate situations. With the help of our supporters in the community, we are bringing stability to many in some very tumultuous times. - Philip E. Tomsik, M.D., Medical Director North Coast Health Ministry ServicesMedical Director, Dr. Philip E. Tomsik, and our staff of generous volunteer physicians and nurses are on call to provide the following services: • Healthcare services for all ages (Newborn – 65 years of age) • Regular Check-ups / General Screenings • Medical Tests: Lab Work, X-Rays, and Special Testing • Women’s Healthcare • Prescription Assistance • Ohio Benefit BankTM application site • Health Education • Care for Continuing Illnesses: Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Conditions • Additional care from out partner hospitals in the area • Referrals for special medical treatment • Linking to other services • Healthy Start Information & Applications
NCHM services are available to individuals and families who are without health insurance and are living on a limited income. To be seen by one of our physicians, we ask that you become a registered North Coast Patient. To become a patient, you’ll need to fill out some paperwork and provide the following: • photo ID • Proof of income Patients are asked to pay a $10 administrative fee once a year. This can be paid at the time of registration.
Patient Satisfaction North Coast Health Ministry conducts bi-annual patient satisfaction surveys to ensure that we are providing the best care possible to our patients. We are pleased to publish the results of our latest survey.
Electronic Health Records Striving to provide the highest level of quality care in the most efficient way, we have invested in an electronic health record system for our patients. Launched in September 2007, the electronic health record (or EHR) now enables our doctors and nurses to document and manage patient care directly through computers. Storing and maintaining health records electronically is fast becoming the norm in hospital systems, and more and more physicians’ practices too are embracing the trend. The reasons are many and compelling as electronic records allow for more efficiency and accuracy in managing patient care. Phil Tomsik, MD, Medical Director, and Lee Elmore, Executive Director, began investigating the possibility of using such a system for NCHM patients in early 2006.
“All of medicine is going this way where data is shared among all the people involved in a patient’s care. Using paper charts in our clinic was particularly challenging, too, since the information on the charts had to be in several places at the same time. Given our configuration in the clinic, that was difficult,” - Philip E. Tomsik, M.D., Medical Director, on the importance of going paperless
“All the patient charts are there in the computer, easy to find. The labs and the tests, which are mostly done off-site, are there, too. Having such quick access to full patient records helps the practitioner make better decisions about care." - Kathy Rodgers, RN, Head Nurse
“It lets us take care of our patients easier and better,” - Lee Elmore, Executive Director
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