University Medical Center is expanding efforts to better support patients with chronic health conditions through a more connected and hands-on approach to care.
That approach, Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM), is designed to improve patient outcomes while also supporting the long-term sustainability of primary care, according to Dr. Tom Weida, UMC’s chief medical officer.
“It really focuses on keeping patients healthier and better connected to the care and resources they need,” he said.
Weida discussed APCM during a recent lecture to faculty, residents and medical students at the College of Community Health Sciences, which operates UMC.
APCM is a Medicare initiative that supports ongoing care outside of traditional office visits. Instead of focusing only on in-person appointments, APCM allows care teams to stay engaged with patients on a regular basis through check-ins, coordination and follow-up.
“We started APCM fully about three months ago at UMC in Tuscaloosa and in May at UMC-Northport,” Weida said.
Currently, there are 75 patients at UMC in Tuscaloosa enrolled in APCM, and 12 UMC-Northport patients are enrolled.
Under APCM, patient care teams provide a range of services that often happen between visits, including developing personalized care plans, reviewing medications and helping coordinate care with specialists or after a hospital stay.
Weida said the approach is meant to make care more consistent and easier for patients to manage.
“It’s like having your mom manage your care,” he said. “We’re doing monthly checks, making sure we have an accurate medication list, answering questions and making sure we get reports back from the hospital and consultants.”
Care managers also help patients work through everyday challenges that can affect their health, such as transportation issues, trouble managing medications or difficulty accessing health care services.
APCM is especially helpful for patients with multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. It also gives patients additional ways to stay in touch with their care team through secure messaging and other forms of digital communication.
Some Medicare insurance plans require a co-pay and deductible for this service.
Patients who want to learn more about APCM can contact UMC care managers Beth Carpenter (205) 348-1208 at UMC in Tuscaloosa and Danielle Cornelius (205) 348-1207 at UMC-Northport.