75th MDG Patient Centered Medical Home excellence

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Melissa Dearstone
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Recently, the 75th Medical Group was ranked the Air Force Surgeon General's number 2 out of 29 Patient Centered Medical Homes. The Patient Centered Medical Home is the Air Force's premier primary care medicine program. Its purpose is to create a partnership between the medical staff and the patients to increase continuity of care, patient and staff satisfaction and the quality of health care provided.

"We are very focused on providing the highest quality and safest medical care to our customers," said Col. Donald Hickman, commander of the 75th MDG. "Our customer satisfaction rates are consistently averaging 95 percent, and our leadership team takes that remaining 5 percent very seriously. We are always looking at our customer's comments to improve our services."

Starting Dec. 5, the 75th MDG will undergo a week long inspection from the Air Force Inspection Agency and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, showcasing its ability to provide safe, efficient, quality health care for patients.

At the 75th MDG, in 96 percent of patient visits, they either see their own doctor or another doctor on that team; 73 percent of the time individuals are seeing their own doctor, which is an incredible accomplishment.

Over the course of the last two years, the clinic has increased same day appointment availability by 40-50 percent, thereby decreasing the need to seek care downtown.

"Health care costs go up 8 to 15 percent per year nationwide and we have managed to drive down our network care costs about 4.5 percent over the last two fiscal years," Hickman announced.

Along with the Patient Centered Medical Home, the 75th Medical Group is also number 2 of 79 military treatment facilities in the management of their diabetic population.

"For the past two years, we have stayed at or above 98 percent for asthma symptom control," said Lt. Col. Karen Ryan-Philpott, chief of the Medical Staff. "We are truly 'leading the way' in the Air Force Medical Service for Health Management."

Occupational Health supports all of the government civilian employees on base, as well as the active duty personnel.

According to Hickman, Hill Air Force Base has the best worker's compensation costs of all the three Air Logistics Centers, saving about $1.8 dollars from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2011.

The clinic is not only helping patients with their personal medical problems, but also with work related issues and required exams for their jobs.

Even with the accomplishments that the 75th MDG has achieved over the past couple of years, there is always room for improvement, for instance, the clinic renovations under way since 2009; these will not be completed until 2012.

The clinic has renovated the heating and air conditioning system to improve its energy efficiency rating, garnering the Hill Air Force Base "Energy Champion" Award for Fiscal Year 2011. The main lobby in the clinic was finished about six months ago; next, they will be tackling the patient care areas in the Family Medicine and Dental Clinics.

"At the end of next summer, we will have a superb looking clinic," said Hickman.

At any given time, about 11 percent of 75th MDG's active duty personnel are deployed. In Fiscal Year 2011, the clinic supported 1,100 Airmen deploying, as well as approximately 200 Soldiers from the Utah Guard and Reserves.

Hickman remarked that in 2011, 100 percent of the Airmen that deployed from Hill were fully medically ready.

For most of us the holidays are joyous events, but not for everyone, particularly the Airmen that may be away from home for the first time or the families that have loved ones deployed.

"There are stressors during the holidays, and I want to remind everybody to take time out for themselves and know what's important," said Hickman. "Focus on the four dimensions of wellness: Take care of your body physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.

"The 430 Combat Medics have been pleased to serve you in 2011, and look forward to maintaining our high quality of service to you in the coming year," he said.