Monarch HealthCare of Orange County has been named this year's recipient of SCAN Health Plan's "Wave" award, presented annually to a medical group that combines "high levels of performance or improvement in the field of geriatrics" with a "strong commitment to care for seniors and SCAN members."
The award was presented at the annual meeting of SCAN's Geriatric Advisory Board. Unique in its composition and charter, the advisory board is comprised of national geriatric, clinical and health policy experts who help guide the health plan in its offering of health management programs to seniors in California and Arizona.
"Monarch HealthCare is helping to set the standard in providing high-quality care in the hospital and nursing home setting through its use of hospitalists and doctors specially trained to work in skilled nursing facilities," said SCAN Chief Medical Officer Timothy Schwab, M.D. "Monarch has also been a champion in assuring the type of coordination of care that improves both clinical outcomes and quality of life for seniors at end of life or with chronic disease."
As part of its effort, Monarch has been a leader of the Orange County POLST Coalition (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) through a two-year grant from the California Health Care Foundation. POLST is a physician's order that outlines a plan of care reflecting the patient's wishes concerning care at life's end. "SCAN is dedicated to ensuring that an individual's preferences at the end of life are respected, and we applaud Monarch's work in encouraging providers to talk openly and candidly with patients regarding their wishes," said Dr. Schwab.
Last year Monarch also introduced its "Senior Touch" pilot program for high-risk seniors. Calling together nurses, case managers, social workers and health educators, this program focuses on the "Five Pillars of Care Transitions," which are designed to improve care transition and communication across multiple sites including hospital, physician's office, home care, outpatient setting, skilled nursing facility, etc. Created to assure that care is delivered in the most appropriate setting and that treatment is consistent with the patient's need and desire, the pillars include: medication self-management, personal health records, post-discharge follow-up, knowledge of warning signs/symptoms and how to respond, and advance-care planning.
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