Business Journal Honors SoFHA Providers

Congratulations to the SoFHA Home Visit Team for winning the Cup of Kindness Innovation Award and Paige Gilbert-Green, D.O. of Highlands Family Medicine on being named a Healthcare Hero by the Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee / Virginia. The organization and our community are grateful for your dedication and hard work.

From the Business Journal:

For many patients, getting to their doctor’s office for an appointment can be difficult if not impossible. What’s more, the patients most likely to have trouble making it to appointments are often the ones who need medical care the most, senior patients with mobility issues, lack of caregiver support, frailty or altered mental states such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

As a result, the SoFHA Home Visit Team was established in 2016 to go to the patients who can’t get to their doctors. This group of nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide appointments inside patients’ homes or at assisted living facilities, coordinating with the patient’s primary care provider, social workers and clinical pharmacists to ensure continuity of care. Patient care delivered by the home visit team in conjunction with social workers has gone beyond simply addressing disease states and medical care; social workers have been able to identify areas where community assistance or resources are needed, such as in-home care options, food, medication cost assistance or housing.

The idea of creating a home visit team was innovative in and of itself, but the members of the team innovate on a daily basis by crafting solutions for the unique situations they encounter. Just recently, a social worker discussed in-home care options with a patient’s spouse who was having difficulty providing care to their loved one. Additionally, the social worker was able to discuss medication assistance programs that could lower the cost of certain medications and helped fill out, submit and track the application, which led to the patient receiving assistance.

Another team member encountered a patient with progressive dementia and paranoia who refused to leave home to be seen in the office. The team member took the time to build trust with the patient and was eventually able to provide care in the patient’s home along with a social worker and clinical pharmacists, who identified medication options to treat the patient’s anxiety. Recently, the patient was able to leave home for an appointment that had been adamantly refused previously.

The home visit team has proven its ability to meet patients where they are and to improve their lives in innovative ways.

---

Dr. Paige Gilbert-Green had a vision, and more importantly, she had the courage and conviction necessary to make that vision a reality. Dr. Gilbert-Green joined forces with two other female physicians – Drs. Leigh Johnson and Christian Robinette – to start Highlands Family Medicine in Johnson City. The goal of the three doctors who joined State of Franklin Healthcare Associates to start the practice was to create a place where they could serve the people of Johnson City and everyone could feel welcome. Regardless of a patient’s background or what they have been through, Dr. Gilbert-Green and her partners want all their patients to find a home at Highlands Family Medicine. Her patients marvel at her thoroughness and attention to detail. Dr. Gilbert-Green researches family medical histories, stays up-to-date on what tests are covered by a patient’s insurance and follows best practices when it comes to screening and treatment. As a result of this approach, she has been recognized for providing award-winning medical care.

Dr. Gilbert-Green is also heavily involved in her community, volunteering at RAM clinics, supporting the annual Radiothon that benefits Niswonger Children’s Hospital and serving a multitude of community organizations.

---

Original articles may be found here and here.

Posted in Our Providers