Commentary: Saving a life

Alliance Medical Center (Alliance) has recently been recognized as one of the best federally qualified health clinics (FQHCs) in the country. FQHCs are nonprofit outpatient clinics that are required to adhere to several quality initiatives and serve patients regardless of their ability to pay.
Throughout the U.S., over 22 million Americans receive their care at FQHCs. In Sonoma County, community clinics now serve over 20 percent of area residents. Alliance provides care to over 13,000 local patients in its Healdsburg and Windsor locations.
On Aug. 29, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA) recognized Alliance as a 2016 Quality Improvement Awards recipient. Health centers received this award based upon high levels of performance in one or more of the following categories: Improving Quality of Care, Advancing Health Equity, Maintaining Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition, Enhancing Access to Care, and Delivering Value. These five categories were made up of eight sub-categories.
There were only three California FQHCs that received recognition in seven of the eight sub-categories and Alliance is the only one in Sonoma County. Even more impressive is that Alliance was recognized as a National Quality Leader. To put this in context, there are over 1,400 FQHC’s nationwide and only 70 received this recognition.
A patient’s recent experience with Alliance illustrates just how Alliance’s commitment to quality translates in the real world. In May, a 63-year-old man who has receive services at Alliance since 2010 was asked to complete a test to detect colorectal cancer. The patient lost the envelope containing what he needed to take the test. This is not an unusual experience when asking patients to complete their colorectal cancer screening tests, and in fact, preventable late stage colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Sonoma County.
Consistent with protocol, the assigned team medical assistant followed up with the patient in June and instructed him to pick up a new home test. Once again, the patient did not return it. Following protocol, in early July the Alliance case manager, for a second time, followed up with the patient to remind him to bring back the test, known as a FIT card. The patient returned his test on Aug. 3.
On Aug. 9, the test result came back positive. Again, as per protocol, per the primary care provider’s order, the RN and referral coordinator made an urgent referral to a gastroenterologist. The patient had a colonoscopy scheduled in Santa Rosa for Sept. 20.
On Sept. 6 the Alliance case manager met with the patient to review pre-colonoscopy instructions in Spanish. During this visit, the patient conveyed that he didn’t have family or friends who could provide transportation on the day of the colonoscopy. The case manager learned that the patient’s health insurance provider does not provide transportation for this procedure and that without transportation assistance, the patient could not receive the colonoscopy.
Alliance Medical Center arranged to pay for the patient’s transportation costs to ensure that the exam took place. The staff at Alliance learned that the gastroenterologist found and resected three polyps, the largest of which was a cancerous lesion.
Last week, this patient returned to Alliance and emotionally expressed how thankful he is to Alliance’s staff for their help and support. He went on to say that the GI stated that “AMC saved his life. If he had waited six more months, the cancer could have spread to other organs.”
Alex Armstrong, Alliance’s CEO said, “Two years ago, Alliance decided to improve our colorectal cancer screening rate along with several other important population health initiatives. We expanded our quality and performance improvement staff and made patient-centered team care a top priority in our clinic. I credit the saving of this man’s life to every single team member of Alliance. It was an easy decision to pay for this patient’s transportation costs; the real work happens with all of the team members at Alliance who work with patients to learn what matters to them each and every day.”
To learn more about Alliance Medical Center, contact Armstrong at 385-2306.
Terry Leach is an Alliance Medical Center board member