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HEALTHCARE HEROES OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
“In the VA, we have
a unique understanding of the military culture
that other providers in the community don’t neces”sarily have.
Which is why she was hesitant to take the position of nurse manager when it became available last October.
“I wasn’t really sure I wanted to be a nurse manager. I love taking care of my patients. I love working with my team in the VA,” she said. “Nationwide, we practice a primary-care delivery system called the PACT model, which stands for patient-aligned care team. So there’s one provider, one RN, one LPN, and one admin; it’s sort of like a mini- practice within a group practice.
“We always see the same patients, and I had a great team that I worked with,” she went on. “It’s a good model for the patients; they really love it. So I didn’t want to leave my team or my patients.”
But a mentor encouraged her to try something new, and she accepted the detail.
“As a PACT RN, I was providing direct patient care and education, working with my team to meet population health- management goals, such as certain levels of control for diabetes or hypertension. And now I work for the other PACT nurses, supporting them in their practice.”
As nurse manager for two clinics — Springfield and Greenfield — she currently supervises 23 LPNs and RNs, with about three more to be hired soon. And she quickly found she could apply her passion for care in this overseeing role.
The busy community-based outpatient clinic in Springfield is one of five operated by the VA in Western and Central Mass.
“In the VA, we have a unique understanding of the military culture that other providers in the community don’t necessarily have,” she said. “It’s a very
sad truth that a lot of our veterans have emotional issues when they come back, but we are on the cutting edge of all types of mental-health treatment modalities and therapeutic options, and we also have the
support of Congress — it’s a single-payer system, and we don’t have to be bogged down by some of the stuff that community providers have to deal with. So we, as nurses and providers, can really focus on our veterans and come up with innovative ways to care for them.”
SAFE HARBOR
Adult & Senior Services
SERVICES:
We serve individuals with Alzhiemer’s and other dementias We provide meals, socialization, med reminders, and other ‘cognitive forward’ activities
Call or Schedule a tour today! 413-426-4481 47 Braywood Circle, Indian Orchard, MA
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