Hospital, clinic to provide 24-hour care

Franciscan Hammond Clinic and Franciscan Physicians Hospital have teamed up to provide patients a convenient option for afterhours care.

Together they have developed the ‘Direct Admit Program’ allowing patients to be seen 24/7 when Urgent Care and physician offices are closed.

The process, utilizing night staff nurses at Franciscan Hammond Clinic, gives individuals needing care out of the emergency room where prolonged wait times can delay treatment.

Dr. Cynthia Sanders, medical director at Franciscan Hammond Clinic, states “Our Direct Admit program lets Franciscan Hammond Clinic patients avoid unnecessary trips to the ER, and having their complete medical history at our fingertips allows hospital and clinic staff to make quick and efficient decisions about their care.”

To be directly admitted an individual calls Franciscan Hammond Clinic after hours where they are connected to a night staff nurse. The nurse gathers the patient’s symptoms and contacts the on-call internal medicine physician.

If the symptoms warrant an admission, the physician will contact the Hospitalist at Franciscan Physicians Hospital. The Hospitalist can then review the patient’s chart and prepare for their arrival.

A Hospitalist is a physician whose practice emphasizes provision of care for hospitalized patients. Franciscan Physicians Hospital keeps a Hospitalist on-site twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

During this time the nurse will call the patient back and assist them with coordination of transport to the hospital through an ambulatory provider, family member or friend.

Upon arrival the patient is admitted and seen by the hospitalist who can provide treatment and contact their primary care provider.

Patients receive care from Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) trained physicians as well as ambulatory transportation when necessary and minimal to no wait time.

The program will provide patients of Franciscan Hammond Clinic and Franciscan Physicians Hospital an added benefit of access to medical history through an Electronic Medical Record (EMR).

Through the EMR, clinical staff can review previous medical treatment, conditions, surgeries and testing, ultimately increasing the care received.

Tracey Franovich, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer at Franciscan Physicians Hospital, condones the new program.

“Our hospital and clinic leaders felt that a new, streamlined avenue was necessary to benefit our patients and treat their emergent needs in a setting where medical records and adequate staff are available at all times. This program is a solid step toward improved patient satisfaction and coordination of care.”

For more information or to reach a night staff nurse, call (219) 836-5800.