Turning Awareness into Action: Moving the Needle on Patient Safety
By Hannah Carlisle, RN and Clinic Director/Risk Compliance Officer with Health Partnership Clinic
The theme for this year’s Patient Safety Awareness Week is “Moving the Needle”. What does that mean you ask? Well, to put it simply, it means that we are more than just aware of areas that could be improved, we are taking action in these areas to improve patient safety and the quality of care received.
Active Listening
At Health Partnership Clinic, an area we are very focused on is active listening. Active listening gives someone your full attention, listening to their words and tone and responding in a way that shows you understand what they have shared. It engages the patient and their family or caregiver in the care they are receiving from their provider and provider’s team, and it builds a trusting relationship.
The team starts with the person answering the phone to schedule the patient. If we do not allow the patient time to clearly state their needs, we will not be able to provide the care required for proper treatment. The team also includes the clinic support staff, medical assistants and nurses. When a patient gets back to the exam room, they want to be sure all their questions are fully answered. The clinic staff set the tone for the visit by listening to why they are there and any recent circumstances that could be currently affecting their health. At that time, the staff are able to give the patient expectations of what can realistically be accomplished in the visit but also reassure the patient that anything that may not be able to be discussed today can be discussed at another visit.
Once the provider goes in, they have a little background as to what is going on with the patient but will provide conversation to engage the patient in forming a partnership to manage the health needs as a team. This allows the patient and anyone with them to feel comfortable asking questions which leads to improved outcomes as needs are identified and education shared.
The HPC Nurse Line
Active listening is one of the reasons Health Partnership has implemented a nurse line. Many of our patients and community partners have voiced frustration with calling to reach a provider. I know I can get frustrated when I sit on hold and still do not get my questions answered. We also listened to our staff who were managing all of the phone calls as well as many other tasks that required close attention. I have sat at the front desk a few times, and it is not an easy job! It is our goal that by implementing a nurse line, patients will have easier access to their medical team, be able to voice concerns clearly with the message going directly to the medical team, and that it will give each member of our team time to actively listen to every patient that calls or comes through our doors.
While active listening is only a piece of the many things we are doing here at Health Partnership, it is truly something that will help us move the needle in more than just a nurse line. Active listening is something that will help us find other areas to improve on to ensure we are providing patient care safely and cultivating a culture of safety within our team. So even though you had to read this, thanks for listening.
February is American Heart Month, dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and encouraging preventive action. As one of the leading causes of death for both men and women, heart disease significantly impacts individuals and society, with high costs tied to healthcare services, medications, and lost productivity. Fortunately, you can reduce the risk of heart disease by making small changes to daily habits.
Some common symptoms of diabetes include urinating often, feeling very thirsty or hungry, feeling very tired, blurry vision, slowly healing wounds, unintentional weight loss, numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands or feet.
With summer upon us, it is a great time to begin preparing for the next school year to start! One consideration all of us parents should have for the summer schedule is when we can get our kids into the doctor’s office for next year’s school physical. While it may seem redundant to have to go back for another physical year after year, it is an important part of managing your children’s health and setting them up for success each school year.
A sports physical is a separate type of visit, although depending on when it is needed, your provider may complete it along with the school physical. To participate in sports at a certain level in the state of Kansas, a child must have completed a comprehensive evaluation for full participation. The sports physical takes an in-depth look at the patient’s history as well as the family history. Many problems and health conditions can be caught during these evaluations that can help reduce morbidity and mortality through organized activities. When left unaddressed, your child is at a greater risk of major health problems and concerns related to participation in strenuous activity. Not only is it necessary to have this done for the school, but it is also imperative this full assessment of a child is done for their own safety.
At Health Partnership Clinic, there are a variety of providers available to see patients for their annual school physicals and sports physicals, as well as all ailments that come up in between. A variety of practitioners are in place with multiple different focuses within our four locations that can see not only your child but the rest of the family as well.
Inspired by her parents’ separate years-ago healthcare experiences, 
Having worked in a specialized area like oncology, Trish has a renewed appreciation for primary care and the opportunity to continue practicing evidence-based health care amid the industry’s constant change. Her appreciation extends to the mission and culture of HPC, where she recalls her mother receiving care when health insurance availability was spotty. “My goal is to help create a community-focused clinic, where we can serve the community to the best of our ability, understand their needs, and how to best serve them through other HPC programs,” she adds.
By 
Mental health is a topic most men avoid talking about. Depression and anxiety are more likely to go undiagnosed when it comes to men as compared to women. Most men believe that mental health and illness only affect women and may be hesitant to bring up the topic because they’ll be seen as weak. This makes it hard for men to access mental health providers and receive the care they need. Some men end up self-treating with alcohol and recreational drugs. It is important to educate men that mental health is as important as physical health and encourage them to talk about it with family or healthcare providers.
By Oziel Pruneda, CHW, Community Health Worker
(In their required language)
The two most common types of colorectal cancer screening at Health Partnership Clinic are stool cards and colonoscopies: with a stool card, you take a small sample of your stool from the toilet, put it on a card and mail it back to the laboratory. This is a test for hidden blood.
