Premier Physician Network Launches Premier Health Senior Health Connect Palliative Care Program
PPN primary care physicians and APPs now have support from an extended team to assist in providing palliative care to their Medicare Advantage patients living with serious illness. This palliative care team comprises local advanced practice providers, registered nurses, and social workers, and is led by Mazin Alhaj, MD, the palliative care physician medical director. This team is available to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The palliative care team will provide frequent home visits and help provide relief to patients from pain and other symptoms of their serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart failure, or COPD.
The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for both patients and their families. It can be provided along with curative treatments such as chemotherapy and dialysis. It differs from hospice care, which focuses on the last six months of life and excludes life-prolonging treatments.
According to long-term studies, palliative care reduces emergency department visits for patients by 35% and hospital admissions by 50%. To patients who prefer to stay in their own homes, this can greatly reduce their stress.
According to patient surveys, 93% of patients who receive palliative care are likely to recommend it to others. This is because palliative care is proactive, not reactive, and the team works with patients to determine their values and care preferences. It’s a collaboration between the primary and palliative care teams to support the patient’s goals.
The PPN team is partnering with agilon and Empatia to launch this new Senior Health Connect palliative care program for Medicare Advantage patients. A similar initiative was rolled out by agilon in Akron and several other markets, with highly satisfied feedback from patients and their primary care teams.
Our PPN primary care team recently received training for the Empatia Palliative Care Program. Please contact any PPN primary care team member to learn more about the Premier Health Senior Health Connect Palliative Care Program.
Back to the April 2024 issue of Premier Pulse
