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Article Category: Highlights

Overcoming obstacles: How one health system is creating a more inclusive health care future

Republished Content: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Published on February 14, 2024

Last updated 09:12 AM February 15, 2024

The Atlanta Business Chronicle sat down with Wellstar leaders to discuss creating a more inclusive healthcare future for all.

This article was originally published on Atlanta Business Chronicle on January 6, 2024.

Primary care is the initial and ongoing healthcare individuals receive from pediatricians, internal medicine or family care providers from prevention to the management of common health issues. Primary care fosters enduring patient-clinician relationships and facilitates specialized care when needed. Insufficient primary care can lead to delayed or inadequate medical attention, resulting in undetected health issues, unmanaged chronic conditions and increased reliance on emergency services—which can have significant cost impacts.

Without a robust primary care system, preventive measures, early intervention and continuity of care are compromised, contributing to poorer health outcomes, higher healthcare costs and strain on emergency resources. According to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 3.3 million—a third of Georgians— reside in an area grappling with a shortage of primary care. Recognizing the urgency and importance of addressing this issue, leaders from Wellstar Health System joined the Atlanta Business Chronicle for a panel discussion. The conversation delved into the crucial significance of primary care and the challenges that persist, shedding light on the need for strategic solutions in healthcare management.

Panelists & moderator


The Atlanta Business Chronicle sat down with Wellstar leaders to discuss creating a more inclusive healthcare future for all.

  • Elise Lockamy-Kassim, AVP, Community Health & Center for Health Equity, Wellstar Health System
  • Dr. Dean Seehusen, chair of Family & Community Medicine, Wellstar MCG Health
  • Dr. Jeffrey Tharp, chief medicine division officer, Wellstar Medical Group
  • David Rubinger, market president and publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle

Reaching the population avoiding medical care

David Rubinger: What strategies can community health providers use to reach out to individuals who haven’t sought medical care until they end up in the emergency room with a chronic condition? What specific approaches does Wellstar employ to effectively bring people into the healthcare system in a more manageable and proactive manner?

Dr. Jeffrey Tharp: Outreach is pivotal in addressing the root issues you mentioned. We understand that a person’s health significantly influences their lifestyle and quality of life. At Wellstar, we actively raise awareness, an integral part of the fabric that emphasizes the importance of a healthier lifestyle. Interestingly, insurance companies play a role in this by recognizing the cost benefits of keeping individuals healthy. Many insured individuals receive outreach, even in their homes, encouraging health assessments and connecting with primary care physicians.

Wellstar conducts numerous community campaigns through various channels, including community events, the media and in our offices and hospitals, highlighting the value of maintaining health and establishing a relationship with a primary care physician.

Elise Lockamy-Kassim: To add on to what Dr. Tharp said about reaching out to the community, we know health results are driven by non-health issues. The majority of our health outcomes are attributed to other things like where we live, where we go to work, where we send our children. Health literacy is needed outside health providers’ offices. Wellstar partners with organizations like Ser Familia to reach Spanish speakers and connect them with health resources in their community. Another example is our partnership with BLKHLTH. African Americans are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups according to the American Cancer Society. Together, we distribute colorectal cancer kits to the community members that enable them to test and get results at home.

Rubinger: What factors contribute to men’s lower likelihood of seeking medical attention?

Dr. Dean Seehusen: It hasn’t been a cultural norm in America for men to seek out healthcare.  I think part of it is also about the interaction that families have had with medicine over the years. Women get screening tests at a much younger age than men, like pap smears and mammograms, on a regular, ongoing basis. Considering traditional family dynamics, who also takes children to the doctor? Traditionally, it was the mother. She was going to the doctor herself annually, and men waited until they had chest pain for the first time. There wasn’t that equivalent of an annual exam associated with screening tests that men had in customary American medicine.

Rubinger: I’ve noticed a positive shift in the American health community acknowledging and addressing the reluctance of men to prioritize health check-ups. Recent advertising featuring athletes, unconventional in traditional public service ads, indicates a cultural change. How do you perceive the impact of technological advancements in further influencing the healthcare narrative and possibly addressing the healthcare-seeking behavior within the male dynamic?

Lockamy-Kassim: If I put on an equity lens, I could think of the male population as an underserved group in healthcare in certain ways. We’re addressing that, especially in the Center for Health Equity here at Wellstar, because we are bringing care, awareness, health literacy and health education to people where they are.

We’ve had many campaigns with people at churches and social service agencies where they just live their lives. We will bring the healthcare to you and that represents a shift. Across the industry, we’re returning it to where it used to be when you had a doctor make house calls. We see the benefits of that model.

Telemedicine and accessibility

Rubinger: Amid the challenges of COVID, a silver lining is the increased accessibility of healthcare through telemedicine. The positive aspect lies in the enhanced efficiency of interactions and features like online scheduling. How has that changed how you all practice medicine?

Dr. Seehusen: Wellstar is leading the way in telehealth. We are contacting many rural parts of Georgia, not just the Augusta or Atlanta area. There’s a statewide network that we are reaching out to via telehealth that includes ICU and emergency care, and we’re even doing a lot of hospital-type care at home now. It’s paving the way for the future of what healthcare can look like.

On the flip side, when we try to deliver primary care via telemedicine, equity becomes an issue. There is a subset of our patients who do not have the hardware or do not live in a neighborhood that has Wi-Fi connectivity. There is still work to be done on the primary care side with telemedicine. Once you get into the more specialized care, we’re doing some fantastic things that I’m proud of.

Dr. Tharp: To echo Dr. Seehusen, what has been done at Augusta University has really led the way for much of what the rest of us have learned along the way.  Virtual care is a skill set that primary care physicians rarely had before COVID—how to perform it or what was appropriate to do via telemedicine.

The access issue is a double-edged sword. It does help some people, but on the other hand, there are areas where broadband is not great, or you have elderly folks who may not know technology. We must ensure that we give appropriate care when it needs to be in-person versus virtually and provide access to technology to as many people as possible who can’t afford that luxury.

Lockamy-Kassim: Evolving patient needs have forced us to grow as innovatively and quickly as the industry grows. In a church setting, we provide broadband hotspots, laptops and free services to individuals we encounter. You’re going to learn the signs and symptoms of whatever health topic we’re addressing. We will give you the tools to access primary care. We’ve had to be creative with our funding and partnerships to make sure we’re not creating more inequity as we pursue this new space.

Dr. Tharp: An example of patient care improvement as a result of the pandemic, particularly with the diabetes epidemic, is the advent and promotion of virtual diabetic education classes. Previously, multi-hour comprehensive diabetic classes could be difficult to schedule with respect to work and family responsibilities and transportation. Having the ability to do all that virtually has increased people’s knowledge, and we’re seeing metrics improve in diabetic control, almost to the same degree as adding on another medicine. It’s a vivid example of how we’ve been able to use this technology and help people’s lives on the primary care side.

The value of having a primary care physician

Rubinger: Unfortunately, people would use their emergency room as their primary care physician. What can be done to help educate people on where they should go first, and how do you decide which care is best for your medical situation?

Tharp: There are different values when having a relationship with a primary care physician, such as access, quality of care and individualized care. When starting that relationship, there’s often an access problem since there are so few primary care physicians in the state and nation to accommodate our needs.

One tactic in building relationships with patients is connecting them with a specific physician or practice when they visit the emergency room. Although the process isn’t perfect, having a designated contact helps streamline communication. When a patient is identified, the initial step is knowing who to call, and from there, the referral process can begin. While it may not always be as fast as desired, establishing this relationship can also involve routing the referral through an urgent care facility in some instances. Having your own primary care physician can help you overcome some of the difficulty in navigating the U.S. healthcare system.  Those benefits we see with that primary care patient relationship must start with knowing who to call.

Seehusen: Once a patient has experienced primary care with a provider they regularly see, establishing a relationship with true continuity occurs. This provider ideally knows not just the patient but also their entire family and medical history. It’s about getting them into the door. Then, we must develop systems where, again, access exists. The faces are stable enough that even if it’s not the same one face, it’s at least a small team of clinicians who are seeing that patient repeatedly.

A small team might be made of one physician and a couple of nurse practitioners and that small team really gets to know that patient and vice versa. You won’t have to convince those patients of the value of primary care. Those patients are much less likely to show up at an urgent care center or the emergency room because they know they want to see that team.

Lockamy-Kassim: While conducting our Community Health Needs Assessment, we held a Community Summit—a community-centered event similar to a focus group. With community members in each of our service areas, we identified access to care as a critical community challenge. One of the first aspects they mentioned as being the best asset in their community was the presence of a Wellstar Graduate Medical Education clinic or primary care facility. We know that neighborhoods are comprised differently. One of the ways that we can make entry points for primary care instead of the emergency room is to have primary care facilities in high-need ZIP codes.

There’s a statewide network that we are reaching out to via telehealth that includes ICU and emergency care, and we’re even doing a lot of hospital-type care at home now. It’s paving the way for the future of what healthcare can look like.”

- Dr. Dean Seehusen, MD, Chair of Family & Community Medicine, Wellstar MCG Health

Current and future employment hurdles

Rubinger: Finding people to work since COVID is the hottest topic for Atlanta Business Chronicle and every news organization in the country. What’s happening in the healthcare workforce is a critical situation right now, whether it’s people wanting to become doctors but can’t afford medical school or the nursing shortage. How is the shortage affecting Wellstar, and what are some solutions to overcoming these challenges?

Dr. Tharp: In our daily operations, addressing the challenges you mentioned is crucial. Our key focus is achieving a healthy work-life balance. Given the intensity of our profession, we’ve implemented programs for physicians, advanced practice professionals and team members across the system.

The goal is to enhance the appeal of this high-stress environment, acknowledging that people choose to work here despite the stress levels. They come here because they want to help people. That motivation must be nurtured to keep people engaged. We are looking at potential shifts that accommodate people with different needs for their family care, whether that’s working only on weekends or only evenings. We’re doing that in a very defined way at Wellstar for our team members and our physicians. We understand that some physicians have those same family needs and may have them at different stages or ages of life. It’s all part of this intricate workforce plan that we are trying to execute.

Rubinger: Dr. Seehusen, as someone who works with medical students at Augusta University, has it been harder to get these medical students to want to focus on primary care versus other specialties?

Dr. Seehusen: In recent years, we have seen that there are forces that make it challenging to attract medical students into primary care fields. Traditionally, primary care in this country does not pay as much as specialty care does. That’s the financial aspect. With the debt that most medical students have coming out of medical school, it’s hard to look a young person in the eye and try to sell them on primary care, no matter how passionate I am about it. One of the things that we look at is finding student debt relief programs. You’ve got to convince them that there are mechanisms in play for this debt you incur. It is okay to follow your passion; if your passion is primary care, you can do that and succeed. You won’t repay these loans for the next 40 years. That’s the kind of conversation you have with them because I’m continually impressed by how many medical students just want to help people. They are here for the right reason, and primary care is the best way to do that. There are just all these other factors that you’ve got to address as well.

Rubinger: A concern is the desire for individuals to see medical professionals who share their background and can understand their experiences. The shortage of African American doctors in the U.S. is a well-documented issue. What is your perspective on the future of this issue, and how does Wellstar contribute to addressing it?

Lockamy-Kassim: We must start early and often with exposure to healthcare jobs. That means pairing our young people, starting as early as third grade, with physician or other patient care mentors so they can understand what it’s all about. Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton County and Cobb County all have workforce entry programs in third grade for career exposure. At Wellstar, we invest in those types of partnerships.

Physicians want to find meaning in their work, which for physicians of color can look like partnering with community health to support community outreach events or ensuring that a community-based organization you are part of gets support or visibility from the institution. Those are ways we capture our physicians’ hearts and enable them to stay.

Rubinger: Dr. Tharp highlighted insurers’ crucial role in directing patients to appropriate outlets, often facilitated by employers. How have employers supported you in achieving healthcare goals? Are they effective partners, or do you see potential for further collaboration to enhance goal attainment?

Dr. Tharp: The engagement scale varies depending on the employer’s size, with both larger and smaller ones showing awareness. Larger employers often have the capacity to actively intervene, as exemplified by Wellstar’s “Get Well at Work” program. This initiative allows individuals to receive the appropriate level of care without being seen in the emergency room. We’ve collaborated with various industries and senior living facilities, reflecting a new model of care. While progress has been made, especially with major corporations offering incentives like credit vouchers for insurance premiums, there’s recognition that more can be done. The COVID crisis has heightened awareness, particularly regarding staffing issues, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with employer partners.

Dr. Seehusen: This is another area where technology can really help the employer. Suppose an employee needs to see a doctor, meaning they need to take a half day off. In that case, the employer can provide a secure and quiet place where the employee can have a telemedicine visit if appropriate for their complaint. This could save both the employee and the employer a lot of time. When you look at it from the employer’s perspective, keeping your employees healthy just makes sense. We know finding suitable replacements for workers takes time and money. Keeping your workers healthy and on the job for a long time is better.

Lockamy-Kassim: On the note of keeping employees healthy, thinking about it here at Wellstar, we have employee wellness rooms. It’s a quiet space to rest and rejuvenate. It has innovative technology to create virtual reality and experience a soothing environment. There’s also audio therapy or you can read a book quietly. Employers can invest in resources that are on the preventive side that lead to retention and overall wellness.

Dr. Seehusen: Business leaders have a unique opportunity to advocate for their employees, supporting initiatives that expand access to primary care and promote payment reform, especially for preventive services. A crucial aspect of this advocacy involves reinstating the reimbursement parity for telehealth, which was in place during the pandemic but disappeared afterward. Recognizing the significant benefits of telehealth in improving the health of Georgians, everyone needs to advocate for its continued support.

Personalized care transformation

Rubinger: How has the approach to individualized care for patients evolved beyond the traditional prescription model, taking on a more sophisticated and comprehensive approach to developing long-term health strategies?

Dr. Tharp: When considering population health and transitions, particularly from hospital to primary care, the role of care managers becomes vital. These individuals act as guides, assisting in identifying necessary equipment and employing certain strategies—some involving technology—to personalize care. For instance, interactive programs can showcase a person’s 10-year cardiac risks and explore potential lifestyle changes like quitting smoking or adopting a Mediterranean diet. The ability to individualize care has significantly advanced over the past decade.

Acknowledging the contributions of insurance programs and health systems, the emergence of care management has been transformative for patients. Navigating different aspects of the healthcare environment can be confusing and having a care management team alongside a primary care physician provides valuable guidance. Primary care is recognized as a team effort, with care managers playing a crucial role. This team-oriented approach extends to virtual platforms, not solely relying on face-to-face interactions. Care managers prove instrumental post-hospitalization services, helping with appointments, equipment and disease-specific support groups, such as those for prostate cancer patients, emphasizing their direct connection to primary care.

Lockamy-Kassim: I view care managers as essential care extenders. Even if my physician doesn’t share my background, having someone on the team who speaks my language and understands my historical context is invaluable. This person can fill in the gaps and accompany patients on their journey toward optimal health, placing individuals in a strong position  for success.

Health issues and initiatives for improvement

Rubinger: Dr. Tharp, as a medical director, what is the lingering problem affecting health outcomes in the United States compared to other high-income nations, and what efforts is Wellstar undertaking to address these health challenges?

Dr. Tharp:
Two main reasons for this country’s poor outcomes are access to healthcare and lifestyle. We are addressing population health at Wellstar and across the nation. As chief of the Primary Care and Medicine Service Line, I focus on the entire population’s health, which occurs one patient at a time. Ensuring access, whether through community or convenient hours access, is crucial. Affordability is also a key consideration. Access is the number one concern, closely followed by lifestyle factors contributing to chronic diseases. Our approach includes discussing preventive measures and emphasizing the potential for lifestyle changes to prevent some of these health issues.

Rubinger: Elise, what have you seen regarding access and lifestyle from your studies in public health?

Lockamy-Kassim: My primary focus at Wellstar revolves around health equity. There was a time in this country when unfortunate government-sanctioned guidelines dictated which communities received investments in healthcare access pathways, encompassing aspects such as food access, transportation and overall accessibility. Today, we witness the consequences of those sanctioned actions.

As a healthcare institution, we recognize that we can’t be the solution to every access challenge. However, we aspire to serve as a crucial anchor. Understanding that people turn to Wellstar and other healthcare institutions for support services and healthcare, we aim to connect to various community institutions, facilitating access to care.

Rubinger: Dr. Seehusen, do you see these same challenges in Augusta that we see in Metro Atlanta?

Dr. Seehusen: I certainly agree that access is an issue. Speaking from my role as a primary care doctor, I believe that the ideal access should be to a primary care clinician. Someone a patient can foster a long-term relationship with. When we consider the strengths of primary care physicians or advanced practice professionals—such as excelling in preventive measures, screening and educating on various health topics—these aspects play a significant role in keeping individuals healthy over the long term, offering the most bang for the buck.

Rubinger: It sounds like there’s a focus on breaking down barriers but more work needs to be done to achieve equity in healthcare. How do you approach that?

Lockamy-Kassim: At Wellstar, we take pride in our data-driven approach, relying on evidence and real-time information. Using the Community Health Needs Assessment and patient data allows us to grasp the specific health dynamics in each ZIP code. By sharing this information, we empower current and future generations to proactively address the health issues we observe.

Learn more about primary care at Wellstar or find a primary care provider near you.

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Get started at wellstar.org/virtualcare.

 
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Antibiotics save lives by effectively treating bacterial infections, but they aren’t effective against viral infections. At Wellstar Primary Care and Wellstar Urgent Care, our expert clinicians will evaluate your symptoms and tailor a care plan for your condition, including a prescription for the appropriate medication if needed.

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Chart showing whether antibiotics treat certain illnesses. Cold/runny nose is a virus, no antibiotics needed. Sore throat (except strep) is a virus, no antibiotics needed. COVID-19 is a virus, no antibiotics needed. Flu is a virus, no antibiotics needed. Bronchitis/chest cold in otherwise healthy children and adults is either virus or bacteria, no antibiotics needed. Studies show that in otherwise healthy children and adults, antibiotics for bronchitis won’t help patients feel better. Middle ear infection could be virus or bacteria, antibiotics may be needed. Sinus infection could be virus or bacteria, antibiotics may be needed. Strep throat is caused by bacteria, antibiotics needed. Whooping cough is caused by bacteria, antibiotics needed. Urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria, antibiotics needed. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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