Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

Cary Pediatric Center is proud to announce that in June 2017 it was recognized by the NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) 2014 Program. What does this mean, and what does it mean for you as our patient?

What is a Patient Centered Medical Home?

The patient centered medical home (PCMH) is a promising model for transforming the organization and delivery of primary care. It means that you will be surrounded by a dedicated team of health professionals, working together with you, to optimize your health goals using the best evidence-based medicine and resources available for you today. Helping and empowering you to take responsibility for your health and giving you the self-management support that you need to succeed.

As your primary care provider/team we will:

• Learn about your child, your family, life situation, and health goals and preferences.  Our team will recall your health history every time you seek care and will suggest treatments that make sense for you.
• Take care of any short-term illness, long-term chronic disease, and you or your child’s all around well-being.
• Keep you or your child up-to-date on all vaccines and preventative screening tests.
• Connect you or your child with other members of your care teams (specialists, health coaches, etc.) and coordinate care with them as you or your child’s health needs change.
• Find appropriate behavioral help as needed (including specialists, support groups etc.)
• Be available to you or your child, after hours, for urgent medical needs.  Our regular business hours are: Monday through Friday 9 am – 5 pm in all three offices and Saturday 9 am – 12 pm in the Cary office only.  Should you require medical care outside of these hours, urgent needs can be directed our nurse triage through WakeMed One Call Nurse Line.  They can be reached by calling any of our regular office phone numbers.
• Notify you of test results in a timely manner.
• Communicate clearly so that all conditions and options are well-understood.
• Listen to your questions and feelings.  We will respond promptly to you, and your calls, in a way you understand.
• Help you make the best decisions for your care.
• Give you information about classes, support groups, or other services that can help you learn more about your condition and stay healthy.
• Help you understand your insurance options, should you be uninsured – all children deserve equal care to stay healthy, please contact our billing department in the Cary office for more information.

We trust you, as our patient, to:

• Know that you are a full partner with us in your care.
• When you join our practice, you will provide us with a complete medical history and inform us if you obtained care outside of the practice.  Upon your first visit, we will have you complete new patient forms so that we may obtain all previous records you or your child may have.  Should you have any questions about this process, please contact the Front Office Supervisor at any of our locations.
• Come to each visit with updates on medications, dietary supplements, or remedies you are using, and any questions that you may have.
• Keep scheduled appointments or call to reschedule as early as possible.  Scheduled visits cancelled in under 24 hours or “no-shows” will incur a $25.00 fee.
• Understand your health condition and what you can do to stay as healthy as possible.
• Work with us to develop and follow a plan that is best for your health, if you have obstacles in fulfilling this plan, please discuss them fully with our staff.
• Take medications, as prescribed.
• Contact us, after hours, only if your issue cannot wait until the next work day.
• If possible, contact us before going to the emergency room so someone who knows your medical history can care for you.
• Agree that all health care providers in our healthcare team will receive all information related to your healthcare.
• Learn about your health insurance coverage either from your insurer, or, if you have additional questions about billing, you can contact our billing department in the Cary office at 919-467-3211.
• Give us feedback to help us improve our care for you.

Forms

Well Visit Handouts

At each well visit we will provide you with a handout of important information that is specific to your child’s age and development. You will receive a hard copy with their growth documented in the office but you can also download them here in PDF format.

Post-Partum Support

Moms Supporting Moms is a community-based resource, and is a “…peer-led, judgment-free support group for women struggling with issues related to pregnancy, delivery and early motherhood.” As it says very appropriately on their website:

“The adjustment to new parenthood sometimes can be difficult. Irritability, anxiety and even sadness over changes in lifestyle can be expected as parents settle into a new routine of caring for an infant.”

If you or someone you care about is having difficulty adjusting to the changes surrounding motherhood, please reach out during your visit to our office to a provider or nurse, or call for guidance.

They can be reached at 919.454.6946 and can found on the web at Moms Supporting Moms.

Flu Season

With the flu season just around the corner, we have a few things to keep in mind.

First, and most importantly, we recommend that all children 6 months and older receive the flu vaccine. This is the best and most effective way to prevent your children from getting the flu. If you haven’t already, please call one of our offices to schedule a nurse visit to receive the flu vaccine. Bear with us as our supplies of the flu vaccine are changing daily.

Tamiflu

At this time of year, we receive lots of letters from urgent care clinics in the area stating that a child has been diagnosed with the flu and been given Tamiflu, usually appropriately, but sometimes inappropriately. Tamiflu is ONLY indicated in children 2 weeks and older who have been symptomatic for LESS THAN 48 hours. When given in the first 48 hours of the illness, Tamiflu has been shown to reduce symptoms by only 1-2 days. Therefore, do not expect your child to improve immediately after being given Tamiflu.   

After 48 hours, there is no evidence that Tamiflu has been shown to be effective and should’t be given unless your child is critically ill from the flu (meaning your child is in the ICU in the hospital). There are only a few, rare, reasons to give Tamiflu to children who have been exposed to influenza. We can explain those situations to you if this case should arise. 

Just like antibiotics, inappropriate use of Tamiflu can lead to increase in resistance, decreasing the effectiveness of Tamiflu. If you have more questions refer to the CDC web site or call our office.

Safety