This commentary is by Dr. Toby Sadkin of Primary Care Health Partners, St. Albans Town, and Dr. Adriane Trout of Thomas Chittenden Health Center in Williston.
Primary care is the foundation of good health care. Most everyone agrees with this, yet over the years little investment has been made to support primary care in a way that ensures access to high-quality, well-coordinated care that can make a real difference to our patients and thereby the overall health of our communities.
As physician leaders of two of the largest independent primary care groups in Vermont (Primary Care Health Partners and Thomas Chittenden Health Center), we are always looking for ways to take better care of our patients. Our practices’ cultures embrace innovation as a mechanism to achieve this goal, so when OneCare Vermont asked us to try its pilot program with a mission to better serve Vermonters, we were willing participants.
We are often early adopters and collaborative participants in pilot projects focused on supporting primary care and improving our health care system.
OneCare Vermont’s own “comprehensive payment reform” pilot project changes the payment method from fee-for-service to a fixed monthly payment with which we can focus on taking the best care of the patients in our practices.
This is the first real investment our independent primary care practices have seen. It has allowed us to provide better team-based care within our offices. We now have dedicated care coordinators who can help patients navigate complicated health and social situations. We have implemented more mental health and social services in our offices where patients can access them on site.
We fully expect that this more integrated approach will have a positive effect on the health of our patients and communities. In addition, Thomas Chittenden has been able to recruit two new primary care physicians, further increasing access to care, which we all know has been a huge limiting factor to Vermonters getting the primary prevention they need.
We understand that any work toward improving our current health care system involves a combination of innovation, investment and risk. Time is needed for this work to evolve and adapt in response to the things we learn along the way.
As with any pilot project, there are some things that work well and others that need revision. OneCare has been a collaborative partner in this process, working toward our shared goal of delivering better health care for Vermonters.
It is our hope that we can continue to work together, encourage others to join in the process, and shape the future for a healthier Vermont.
