Abstract | Nursing in the Community

Using a Mobile Integrated Health Program to Improve Outcomes

As with most safety net hospitals, a large percentage of the patient population treated at Grady Health System in Atlanta has multiple comorbidities compounded by social determinants of health directly impacting access and utilization of local health care services (Bell, Turbow, George, & Ali, 2017). The mobile integrated health (MIH) program utilizes the expertise of a nurse practitioner to provide quality care, identify patient needs and gaps in care while connecting patients with the most appropriate resource.

Encounters with two patients

Ms. Jones is a patient with whom those who have worked in the hospital setting are all too familiar. She is seen often in the emergency department (ED) for a variety of complaints. She is seen even more by our emergency medical service (EMS) counterparts for her numerous calls to 911. The majority of the encounters are not an emergency and do not require treatment in the acute care setting. However, after a 911 call, off to the ED she goes. Arriving there, staff are taking care of more acute patients despite the nursing shortage that continues to impact care delivery. Since Ms. Jones is stable and her back pain is chronic rather than acute, she sits waiting on pain medication. Once she is seen, the resident discharges her with advice to follow up with her primary care provider (PCP) or an orthopedist. Ms. Jones does not have a PCP nor does she have access to transportation, which is why she calls 911 when she has what she considers to be a “medical need.”

Continue reading the article by signing up with the form

AONL members have access to the full copy of AONL Voice of Nursing Leadership. Members must log in to access the publication. Not a member? Join AONL today.

Access the Mar. 2020 Member Copy
Voice of Nursing Leadership