“I’ve learned so much while working here and am continuing to witness such an amazing environment. There are so many women uplifting women here, which I haven’t experienced before. How well we work as a group is empowering.” – Shania Klotz, Lead MOA
At Grow Health, team-based care is the standard. With a focus on maternity, their team consists of family doctors, pediatricians, MOAs, registered nurses and social workers. Collectively, they provide patients in Victoria, BC with outstanding medical care, and provide residents with an unparalleled learning experience.
Dr. Alicia Power, the medical director at Grow, believes that the team-based model of practice creates capacity and improves care. Patients get access to a unique breadth of knowledge by seeing a variety of professionals, some with additional training in advocacy, teaching, policy and women’s health.
Learning Experience
Having a multidisciplinary team brings to life what allied health professionals do to support both each other and residents. Beyond hands-on patient care, there is opportunity for residents to work on their relational practice and communication from RNs or discover community resources from social workers. For example, the social worker walks them through what she does, how she shares workload and answers questions. Teaching just becomes a part of the flow.
Resident Colleen Wong said of her experience, “I really appreciate how [preceptors at Grow] teach. They are always available, they never over book (thanks MOAs!), so I can spend more time with patients. Over the months I’ve learned a lot and become more comfortable.”
Working and learning together goes two ways. Residents can offer insights and share their own knowledge with the rest of the team. As RN Tessa Cameron put it, “[They] bring the latest with them so it’s cool to be able to talk to them and see what they’re learning about, what they’ve heard.”
“I love learning from my colleagues, both physician and allied health. We all bring different perspectives and skills to the table, and as a result are able to care for our patients in a more holistic manner.” – Alicia Power
Shared Space, Shared Ideas
The office space at Grow is communal. Having an open set up means that residents are able to ask their preceptors questions easily and bounce ideas off of more experienced physicians. Even if they aren’t participating directly in conversations, it facilitates learning from hearing ongoing discussions. Each morning there is time to spend a few minutes in the staff room where doctors, nurses and social workers gather to do charting and check in with each other.
In Colleen Wong’s experience, “It’s more than just yourself trying to think about a problem. That has been beneficial for my learning and for my mental health as well, since I’m the type of person who thrives being around other people. In a team-based environment, you’re building relationships.”
As with any healthcare space, there are always new challenges, but as a team they find ways to manage and come together, such as using technology to communicate when they aren’t able to speak face to face. Having a strong team environment makes everything better, especially if things get chaotic.
Medical Office Optimization
At Grow, the MOAs work to optimize a teaching clinic day and book enough time for residents so that they don’t have to rush and can adjust to the flow of clinic life. As a collocated team of RNs, residents, physicians and social workers, they understand how appointments need to get booked. They get that different residents work in their own ways and may need more charting time or consultation with pediatricians, and do their best to ensure that happens. Because of their organization, residents are able to sit in on appointments that are of interest to them.
The Patient Experience
For pre- and post-natal patients, each health professional at Grow has something different to offer, such as lactation consultation or access to community resources. The clinic has been able to help patients by having an initial visit with an RN, setting a strong foundation with elements such as prenatal ultrasounds and screening questions. Patients might go through initial concerns with a nurse who can quell their anxieties before seeing their physicians. Residents are welcome in appointments like this, gaining insights if they are interested in prenatal care.
As an RN, Tessa Cameron spends time with patients meeting for intake appointments, providing pregnancy education, postpartum check-ins and feeding support. She also provides immunizations, ear flushes and discusses results with patients, reducing wait times and making sure they get the care they need. In her 13 years of experience working in maternity care, Grow is the first place that her role isn’t siloed. Previously, most of the communication would be done through the patient, telling them to ask for a referral or update their physicians. With the way things are set up for her now, she can communicate directly with other members of the team, which takes added work off of not only herself, but her patients.
Among other things, Tessa hears from patients about how much easier it is for them to have all their healthcare services in one place. When they come to Grow, they get to see different health professionals who are doing what they’re best at, without having to visit different locations. As she puts it, “When they come to see me, we might have more time for questions and education. When they see the social worker, she can help them access resources. No one is trying to fill in roles or spending a lot of time on referrals or wondering what resources are available. Patients get access to what each of us can do best.”
“It’s more than just yourself trying to think about a problem. That has been beneficial for my learning and for my mental health as well, since I’m the type of person who thrives being around other people. In a team-based environment, you’re building relationships.” – Colleen Wong
When it comes to team-based primary care, Grow Health sets the bar high. By working with each other, by relying on each other, by uplifting each other, they provide the best possible care for their patients.