DOC Newsletter : July-August 2011

1. One Good ‘tern Deserves Another Please welcome our new interns to the DOC! Show them around, help them with AEMR, and consider organizing a team dinner with your attending and practice partnership. Former Chief Jon Bae has agreed to “foot” the bill. You Be the Consultant! Look for the new DOC Diagnostic Clinic patients on your list. These will be patients referred to the DOC from outside Durham who need a diagnostic workup. They will be 1-hour, and usually 1-time, visits. This is like the Private Diagnotic Clinic (PDC), except you get paid less. Alisa Hassinger Now Offering Kickbacks For those who don’t know her, Alisa Hassinger is a PA who does primary care and also has extensive experience in behavioral health, with degrees in psychology and social work. She can provide counseling, diagnostic evaluations, psych referrals, and other services. She may even take on patients who have a psych-dominant problem list if the medical issues aren’t too complex, or will co-manage patients with dual diagnoses. Just write “schedule with Alisa Hassinger” on the encoutnter form, but be sure to ask the front desk to schedule double slots with her, because the new psych evals take some time. She will not, incidentally, give kickbacks, which are unethical. • DOC Miscellany: • Dictaphones: Sign them out and sign them in. They are more likely to actually upload your dictations if they are properly signed out. • Don’t let the door hit ya: DOC doors close at 6:30, so begone by then. After 5, you must use the back exit. • Mini-CEX time: attendings will be observing everyone, from new interns to SARs, and giving you feedback. • Pre-clinic conference starts the week of Sept. 5, every day from 12:30 to 1:00. This is required if you have PM clinic. • Physical therapist Mike Reiman is at the DOC on Wednesday AMs. Just write his name on the encounter form to refer. • Not just dictation boilerplate: reconcile your medications! Just make changes on the last note and give to your nurse, who can update AEMR for you. • Put your money where your mouth is. Dr. Bowlby will be inviting residents to meetings to help work on issues important to you, like continuity and no-shows. • Jon Bae couldn’t get no satisfaction (surveys), so you will continue to be subjected to his lame Rolling Stones reference until we accmulate25 per resident. Give one to your patient today! DOC Newsletter: July-August 2011 Pharmacist Rebels Find Their Cause(y) Please welcome Holly Causey, PharmD, who will serve as the new Ambulatory Care pharmacy resident for this year. She replaces Jeffrey Tingen, who has moved on to a faculty position at the University of Michigan. Holly will be an excellent resource for all your drug-related questions in clinic! Fight Tardiness with Deception at the DOC Starting with JARs, we will be moving AM appointment times 15 min. prior to the actual see-the-doctor time (which will remain the same) on a trial basis, in response to YOUR feedback. This will be worded carefully in appointment letters, so patients will hopefully arrive 15 min. earlier than they normally would. We will be tracking the results of this, with the goal of allowing more time for check-in and reducing delays in your schedule due to late patient arrivals. This is a trial, but if it works, it may be rolled out to interns and SARs later. Except for Dan Fox, whose patients will now be told to arrive 15 minutes later than the actual appointment time. Use Express Checkout! If your patient does not need labs, place the pink sheet in the express check-out box. The follow-up appointment will be processed later, and your patient doesn’t need to wait in line. If you have used items from the minibar, pay for these separately before checking out so they do not show up embarrassingly on your bill. Point-of-Care INRs Are Coming! As of August 1 (anticipated), the clinic will have Point-of-Care INR testing available, performed by RNs and pharmacists who see all warfarin patients for routine monitoring. However, should your warfarin patient need an INR due to clinical change or convenience the day you see the patient, you will be responsible for acting on that result in consultation with your nurse, pharmacist, and/or attending. Remember to use the accepted warfarin treatment algorithm to be safest and be sure to set follow up with the RN or pharmacist as needed via the encounter form. If your patient still prefers not to take “that rat poison,” refer them to PRIME where they belong. The DOC’s Gain is Your Patient’s Loss Refer patients who need help with with weight loss to Dr. Eric Westman, who has returned by popular demand. Just write his name on the encounter form. Our Newest Attending Please welcome Dr. Alex Cho! He survived training in general internal medicine with Dr. Zipkin, and has extensive experience in health policy.