Patient Advisory Council The council meets quarterly and consists of current patients and staff members. We discuss ideas and suggestions to identify ways to improve the office for all the patients we serve. Interested in Volunteering? We are currently looking for volunteers to join our Patient Advisory Council. You will be the voice for the patients of the practice, promoting improved relationships between patients, families, and staff. A candidate would be expected to commit to a 1 year term, (meeting 4 times in a year); be able to listen and share different points of view; and speak comfortably in a group. If you would like to be on the Patient Advisory Council please ask Traba for information in our office, phone number 303-776-6872 or email [email protected].

This is a brief overview of meetings. February 26, 2014

    • First meeting overview including vision and mission statements and responsibilities of the council.
    • Patient experiences were discussed with focus on access and communication with the office.

May 21,2014

    • Patient experiences were discussed with focus on nursing and provider care with emphasis on access to providers.

September 24,2014

    • Discussion and ideas to improve office website and improving access to the patient portal.

December 12, 2014

    • Discussed things that are liked about the office and recommendations for improvement. Extending answering the phone through the noon hour and to allow prescription pick up was a recommendation. This was implemented January 26th 2015. Also recommended extending to evening hours one day a week.

March 25, 2015

    • First meeting overview including vision and mission statement and responsibilities of the council.
    • Discussed feasibility of texting providers. Decision was to utilize the patient portal.

June 3, 2015

    • Council members would welcome infrequent, (maybe quarterly) emails sent. Information could include pneumonia shots for elderly and flu shots.
    • Discussion of text messages to reach providers.

September 28, 2015

    • Discussed ways to improve portal access.
    • Members would like to be able to reset own password, instead of calling in.  This will be a feature with the updated portal.
    • Wonder whether portal has capability to remind patients to schedule a physical, or appt., if patients haven’t been in for a year or longer.
    • Utilize phone message on hold with portal information, instead of music.
    • These discussions have resulted in updating our current phone system with a new message on hold system.

December 2, 2015

      • Discussed office portal
        • Inconsistent speed and ability to log into portal.
        • Very slow with computer and too slow to use on mobile phone.
      • Discussed office website
        • Thought very outdated.
        • Stock pictures (clip art) are too old.
      • As a result of these discussions, a new website with direct portal access has been implemented.

March 23, 2016

  • Discussion of phone tree versus receptionist answering all calls.
    • Would hate to see personalized live phone person go away.
    • Phone tree is helpful to route patients to the person they need to speak to.
    • Don’t mind being on hold.
    • Wait times are not too long.
  • Real person — speaks to our practice as opposed to other clinics.
  • Appreciate that phones are being answered at 7 am

July 13, 2016

  • Discussed ways to educate patients about ER visits and related costs.
  • Feedback given about seating in waiting room and building maintenance.
  • Positive feedback regarding same day appointments and rapid responses to patient portal and on call providers.
  • Discussion of other education opportunities for patents.

October 5, 2016

  • Follow up discussion from previous meeting.
  • Ideas and topics for possible presentations:
    • Medicare information for 65 and older
    • Downsizing: Independent and skilled facilities
    • Springtime:  something for parents with children
  • Flu season.
  • Survey questions.

December 14, 2016

  • Members discussed questions to include in an office survey.

February 28, 2017

  • New members introductions.
  • Mission and vision statement.
  • Discussion of office survey questions from last year patient advisory council.
  • Review of existing survey questions
  • 2 members are working on questions for survey.

July 18, 2017

  • Members discussed survey questions.
  • Rough draft of survey completed
  • Nurses will hand out surveys to patients starting in August
  • Council will review survey results at next meeting.

October 26, 2017

  • Reviewed survey results.  There were no concerns, high ratings were noted and no further recommendations based on findings.
  • Qualitick Survey results reviewed.  There were no concerns, high rating again noted and no recommendations for further action based on findings
  • Social Determinants of Care: Presented overview of importance of social determinants of care in health care. Reviewed a sample toolkit and suggestions were made to reword questions that would be relevant to our patient population. Plan to develop a screening tool to identify patient areas of need and utilize local community resources to help meet those needs of patients
  • Other:  Chairs in waiting room to be updated.   members are working on questions for survey.
  • Follow up meeting in January.

March 22, 2018

  • Introduction and review of goals of improving patient experience and what we can do to improve that experience
  • Social Determinants of Care:  Screen tool developed and rolled out last week.  Improvements to wording of questions was made.  Utilizing Colorado 211 for referrals.
  • Access:  Report that no problems with access by council members.
  • Group Visits:  Concept discussed, questions answered.  Will plan to proceed with setting up.

September 20, 2018

  • New members introduction with review of goals of improving patient experience.
  • Report on Social Determinants of Care screening tool.  Now being used with most patient visits.
  • Access:  Reviewed appoints, phone access, hours.  Members felt access was good and no additional recommendations made.
  • Discussed credit card on file and impact on patient’s experience in the office.  Committee felt it was reasonable.  Recommendation to use more of a targeted approach.  Start with new patients, extend to patients receiving multiple statements where collections is more of an issue.  Allow established patients the option as this might be an easier solution for them.  Recommendation to present the change in a way to not only simplify our collections but to simplify payments to our office for the patient.

December 6,2018

  • Discussed access, felt to be acceptable.
  • Reviewed office mission and vision statements as well as introduction page to web site.  Improvements were made.
  • Waiting room suggestion box discussed.  Phrase as “Be part of our team.  Do you have suggestions?”  Will look into implementing.
  • Discussed possible need for virtual visits.  Will continue looking at options for this.
  • Discussed behavioral heath integration in office.  Looking for a person to take over Ariana’s position.
  • Next meeting March 14th.

May 21, 2019

  • Introductions and goals and expectations of members
  • Discussed possibility of having point of care INR testing in office to streamline INR managment
  • Access – felt to be no issues
  • Communication – consensuses that were no issues
  • Encourage portal sign up.  Recommended poster that is visible
  • ART2 project and screening for loneliness.  Reviewed UCLA 3 question screen.  Suggestions on wording made to make more patient friendly.  Will incorporate into screening form.

August 8, 2019

  • Follow up:   ART2 project and survey questions done.  Participated in card study through ART2 and University of Colorado, results pending.  INR in office testing, machine ordered, will implement in next month.
  • Access and Communication – current process working well.  .
  • Billing for immunizations goes through Vaxcare and another physician’s name is on billing.  Will have nurses mention this with immunizations and will check on adding to vaccine information sheet.
  • Office news letter.  Will put together quarterly newsletter to email to patients.
  • Waiting room information screens rotating too quickly, will slow down for easier reading.
  • Physical forms lengthy and history information is in system for returning patients.  Will generate report that has past history information for review so that patients can add or correct based on what we have in the system.  Will send this out for physicals instead of blank form.
  • Next meeting 11/7/2019 at 5pm.

November 11, 2019

  • Access and Communication – no issues at this time
  • Office news letter.  Not complete at this time.  Further work to bring together.
  • Waiting room screen has been adjusted.
  • Now generating physical form, shorter and has patient past history for review.
  • In office INR testing implemented.
  • Discussed office decor – Changing plants and possible Art Work brought in by company and rotated monthly.
  • Next meeting February 6th, 2020.

February 27, 2020

  • Access:  Through telephone, portal, and appointment availability good, no recommendations.
  • Communication:  Call back on messages and labs good.  Add newsletter to portal, will post latest on corona virus.
  • Reviewed current office programs:  CPC+, PCMH, Art2, recommended to advertise in news letter.
  • Discussed implementation of phone tree.  Consensus was that we provide excellent customer service and that sets us apart from other practices.  Phone tree would be a step back in customer service.
  • Next meeting May 7th or 14th, to be determined.

August 20, 2020

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Access:  Added Telehealth appointments with Covid 19 disease.  Mostly telehealth visits early on. Now more in office.  Patients with respiratory symptoms are seen through Telehealth.
  • Communication:  Mike to give Rhea information on Covid-19, Influenza, and West Nile disease for news letter.
  • Discussed new patient flow and curb side blood draws implemented with Covid-19
  • Next meeting will also be a zoom meeting and will be in the next 2-3 months.

March 18, 2021

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Access:  Continue with Telehealth appointments.  No problems or suggestions to improve access by the council.  Wait times are minimal.
  • Communication:  Recommendation made to take voice messages on phone after hours.  Concern about no response to messages until next business day.  Will announce that messages will be listened to the next business day for messages left.
  • Education:  Recommendations on obtaining patient education from Longmont United Hospital and Boulder Community Hospital.  Consider a “Walk with the Doc” program when weather improved and COVID-19 risk decreased.
  • Upholster exam room 1 table.
  • Submitting patient centered medical home (PCMH) to NCQA for continued recognition.

 

September 9, 2021

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Update of CPC+, program ends in December, new program primary care plus starting in January.
  • Access:  Is good according to feedback.
  • Communication:  New phone tree.  No noted major issues with this at this  time,
  • Discussed covid vaccines.  We will not be giving those at office for now due to cold storage requirements and the amount of vaccine that needs to be distributed once packaging opened.
  • Open discussion:  Recommend reminders for annual visits, cards or email.  Home Depot has M95 masks available.

 

March 31, 2022

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Updates:  CPC+ had ended, new program in Primary Care First.  RxLive with pharmacy support starting.  PCMH information submitted.
  • Covid Update:  2nd booster recommended 50 and over and immunicompromised.
  • Access:  Physicals with 2 month weight, extra spots opening up to address.  Otherwise access is good.
  • Communication:  No issues brought up by PAC
  • Website could include links to BCH videos and CDC.gov.
  • Next meeting 3 months.

August 31, 2022

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Primary Care First
    • Access:  no issues
    • Communication:  phone issues at times with telehealth appts, will check with EHR vender and monitor, fall news letter posted to web site.
  • Covid Update:  still prevalent in community, telehealth for respiratory symptoms, last day to order free Covid test kits from government.
  • RxLive:  Pharmacists contacting patients with multiple medications prior to visit to evaluate for interactions and better disease control.
  • Next meeting 3 months.

February 16, 2023

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Primary Care First
    • Access:  Is good.
    • Communication:  No issues with communication.
    • Survey Vitals:  Received report and most of the results are above average.  Lowest area was Support for Patient Taking care of Own Health, specifically asking about specific health goals and barriers patients have to take care of their own health.  This was discussed.  Suggestions included just ask the questions, using are screening form to address, and new project with ART2 on goal oriented care and implementing that into our practice.
  • Patient experience where diagnosis was not made on telehealth and ended up going to urgent care on the weekend.  Discussed relying less on telehealth and more in person visits.
  • Next meeting 3-4 months.

June 21, 2023

  • Meeting held on zoom
  • Primary Care First
    • Access:  No issues, physicals about a month out
    • Communication:  No noted issues
  • RxLive:  Pharmacy service, doing consults for patient medications
  • Covid:  Still have telehealth for care, low incidence at this time, masks optional
  • Aprima Conference:  Dr. Hinman attending end of this month.  We are a beta testing site for Aprima EHR
  • BVCN:  Issues with switching ACO and United Healthcare.  Letters sent out that we were no longer providers for UHC, however we are on both ACO’s and will continue to provide care for UHC patients.

If you have any concerns, comments or suggestions, or if you would like to volunteer for the Patient Advisory Council, we would value your feedback. Please contact Rhea in the office, by phone 303-776-6872, or email at [email protected].