Family Practice of Grand Island has formed a Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) Team. The team is comprised of patients, caregivers and employees who represent our community in the changing world of health care. The team meets quarterly to share ideas and suggestions for improvement, learning opportunities, patient education and safety. Members of the team provide feedback on current workflows and patient concerns. Family Practice of Grand Island appreciates the PFAC Team and their willingness to serve and represent our patient population.

Chronic Care Management is available to qualified patients with two or more long term illnesses who need a little extra guidance and support between appointments from their healthcare team. A nurse reaches out to patients as needed to:

• coordinate care among providers
• help manage medications
• aid in making referrals to specialists
• find answers to health questions
• assist with health maintenance needs and education about health conditions

Transitional care management is the service of providing continuity of care for patients via telephone after being discharged from one healthcare setting to another or home.

The Transition Care Coordinator calls patients after any visit to the emergency department and after hospital discharge. The Transition Care Coordinator will check in with the patient to see how they are doing, ask if they have any questions and schedule any necessary follow up appointments.

Family Practice of Grand Island (FPGI) belongs to the Midwest Health Coalition – Midwest Independent Physician Practice Association, also known as MIPPA. MIPPA is an accountable care organization (ACO)—a group of doctors, hospitals, and/or other health care providers that work together to improve the quality and experience of the care you receive. Our practice chose to be a part of an ACO because we think it will help us provide better care for our patients. As a participating practice partner with MIPPA, we are evaluated on the quality of care we deliver and cost savings achieved by both Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska.

Medicare evaluates how well each ACO meets these goals every year. ACOs that perform well can earn a financial bonus which can be invested in your care and/or a portion can be shared directly with your health care providers. ACOs may owe a penalty if their care increases costs.

FPGI’s participation in the ACO does not limit your choice of health care providers. Your Medicare benefits do not change. You still have the right to visit any doctor, hospital, or other provider that accepts Medicare at any time—just like you do now.

ACOs have agreements with Medicare to be financially accountable for the quality, cost, and experience of the care you receive.

Coordinated care can avoid wasted time and costs for repeated tests and unnecessary appointments. It may make it easier to spot potential problems before they become more serious, like drug interactions that can happen if one doctor is not aware of what another has prescribed.

ACOs may also use electronic health records, care managers, and electronic prescriptions to help you stay healthy. Some ACOs have special programs to encourage you to have a primary care visit or use their care management team. Your participation in these programs is optional.

Family Practice of Grand Island (FPGI) is a training site for Family Medicine resident physicians and partners with the UNMC department of Family Medicine and CHI Health St. Francis. FPGI was the first site for Rural Training Tracks (RTT) in the state, beginning in 1992 under the direction of Dr. Richard Fruehling.

All physicians at FPGI teach our residents in their clinics with excellent support from the specialty physician community for other required training in those fields. The purpose of the RTT’s is to train young physicians in all aspects of the patient care expected in small communities and clinics. The residents spend their first year of training at UNMC in Omaha and their remaining two years in Grand Island.

Nearly 50 family physicians have had this training and are in communities from Blair to Ogallala and Chamberlin, SD to Superior and Hebron, with several in academic medicine in Minnesota, Georgia, Texas, and at UNMC in Omaha.

Over the years, FPGI has been blessed with several residents joining our Family Practice team after completing their training!