NASHP Webinar: Strategies to Support Expanded Roles for Non-Clinicians on Primary Care Teams: Two State Case Studies
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
2:30 – 4:00 pm ET
There is strong evidence that team-based primary care has significant benefits for patients and providers. Some care teams now include non-clinicians, such as medical assistants, health coaches, care coordinators, or community health workers. This requires both a financing source to support non-clincians’ services and training to integrate them with clinical care teams. This webinar provides context on the evidence supporting expanded roles for non-clinicians as members of care teams, and highlights case studies from two states, Maine and South Carolina, that have successfully leveraged Medicaid financing for non-clinician services and harnessed training opportunities to support expanded roles within redesigned primary care teams. This webinar is funded through NASHP’s NOSLO Cooperative Agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration; a companion report, “Strategies for Supporting Expanded Roles for Non-Clinicians on Primary Care Teams,” followed this webinar.
Speakers:
- Moderator: Katharine Witgert, NASHP
- Melanie Giese, Director, South Carolina Birth Outcomes Initiative, South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
- Jackie Stafford, Nurse Practitioner, CareSouth-Carolina
- Rhonda Selvin, Associate Medical Director, Maine Quality Counts
- Michelle Aldrich, Quality Improvement Specialist – Residency, MaineGeneral Medical Center
- Stephanie Calkins, MD, Director of Clinical Medicine for Residency Practices, MaineGeneral Medical Center
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
