MNOHS logo 7-1-2013

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com

Rochester, Mich. – Nov. 30, 2015 – MedNetOne Health Solutions (MNOHS), a health care management organization offering infrastructure, clinical and technology services to independent physician practices and other independent care providers, is enhancing the quality of group visits for patients with diabetes through the addition of a Welch Allyn Hubble – Topcon NW400 retinal camera. According to MNOHS Chief Medical Officer Al Juocys, D.O., the camera complements the services already being provided through group visits at member primary care physician offices.

“Our primary care physicians have long established the effectiveness of group visits in treating and educating patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, yet HEDIS scores throughout the country are particularly low when it comes to retinal eye exams,” Dr. Juocys said. “With this new camera, our goal as an organization is to increase our HEDIS scores for retinal exams from 38% compliance, where most physician organizations are, to 70% compliance. Introducing the camera through established group visits is the most effective way for us to reach a large group of patients with diabetes simultaneously.”

Affirming the impact of group visits, Juocys points to The Center for Preventive Medicine in St. Clair Shores, which has conducted group visits with a large population of patients with diabetes for three years under the direction of Stephenie Lucas, M.D., a primary care physician and board certified endocrinologist, and community pharmacist/care manager Thomas Rheaume, RPh, CDE.

“Working with a pharmacist/Certified Diabetes Educator as a care manager, Dr. Lucas uses group visits to support her population of patients with diabetes, offering training in self-management skills, access to foot checks, blood checks, support systems and, now, retinal eye scans to detect for diabetic retinopathy,” Dr. Juocys said. “Up to 70 patients are involved with the group visits, meeting in clusters of 10-15 throughout the day.”

Dr. Juocys shares the story of one patient in the group who refused to check her blood four times a day as prescribed because, “I don’t like the pin pricks.” When the pharmacist care manager asked how many pin pricks she’d be willing to make, he then made an insulin change that she accepted; within a month her A1C was approaching normal range.

The addition of the retinal camera, which was purchased by MNOHS for $40,000, reflects the organization’s active engagement in developing and implementing care management strategies and multidisciplinary team care, with a special focus on providing whole person care to individuals with chronic conditions.

“When it comes to treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, we need to be vigilant,” Dr. Juocys said. “Reaching large patient populations through group visits allows us to introduce and reinforce meaningful self-management tools on a broader scale while also providing patients with diagnostic tools that are conveniently accessible right in their physician’s office.”

About MedNetOne Health Solutions
MedNetOne Health Solutions (MNOHS), a leader in advancing the development and implementation of the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), is a health care management organization for primary and specialty care physicians, behavioral health specialists, chiropractors and other independent care providers focused on fully integrated, population-based, patient-centric practices that meet government healthcare reform mandates. Learn more at http://www.mednetone.net.

###