Access to specialty care and services is critical for patients with complex healthcare needs. Timely support helps patients receive the right care at the right time, reducing unnecessary urgent care visits, emergency department utilization and hospitalizations.
"Patients don't experience care through programs or departments; they experience care through timely access to the services and support that help them stay healthy," said Dr. Arnold Cuenca, medical director, ambulatory quality and patient safety, MemorialCare Medical Foundation.
A Rapid Response To Patient Needs
When a need emerged to better support patients with gestational diabetes, the Clinical Best Practice Committee and Pharmacotherapeutics Committee quickly partnered with the MCMF ACTIVE disease management and Nutrition Services team. In less than a week, the teams reviewed evidence and approved protocols for nutritional counseling and medication management, improving access to specialized support and coordinated care.
“As healthcare needs continue to grow, leveraging multidisciplinary teams is essential. Our advanced practice pharmacists and registered dietitians, who are certified diabetes care and education specialists, extend the reach of our physicians by providing specialized medication management, nutrition counseling and ongoing support that helps patients achieve healthier outcomes,” said Uzra Wahid, PharmD, director of clinical support services, MemorialCare Medical Foundation.
Advancing Quality Through Clinical Best Practices
Supporting efforts like these is the MemorialCare Medical Foundation Clinical Best Practice Committee, which promotes evidence-based care across ambulatory practices to improve patient safety, reduce clinical variation and expand access to specialty services.
Established by Dr. Cuenca as part of the MCMF Quality Management infrastructure, the committee is led by Co-Chairs Dr. Jo Lieberman-Pan, family medicine, and Dr. Linh England, pediatrician, and includes primary care physicians and operational and nursing leaders from MemorialCare Medical Group and MemorialCare Independent Physicians.
Complementing this work, the MCMF Pharmacotherapeutics Committee supports safe, consistent and cost-effective medication use through clinical guidance and medication safety reviews, helping ensure clinical decisions are grounded in evidence, collaboration and a shared commitment to quality.
"The best clinical decisions aren't made in isolation," said Dr. Cuenca. "These committees bring together diverse expertise from across MemorialCare to evaluate evidence, align on best practices and support consistent, high-quality care."
Supporting Memorialcare’s High Reliability Journey
Building on this foundation, MemorialCare Medical Foundation recently launched the BETA HEART Readiness Assessment as part of MemorialCare’s journey toward becoming a High Reliability Organization. The assessment and upcoming focus groups will help gather perspectives from providers, staff and leaders, identify opportunities for growth, and further strengthen the culture of safety, trust and continuous improvement during adverse events.
To learn more about this important work, please contact Dr. Arnold Cuenca.