Springfield Medical Care Systems Inc

Programs: Springfield medical care systems (smcs) operates a nine-site, federally-qualified health center network. These offices provide access for primary and preventive health care to the general population, and make financial assistance and charity care available to all based on a sliding fee scale. Services include primary and preventive health care for people of all ages, pediatrics, health screenings, behavioral health programs, dental care, vision care, and access to discounted pharmaceuticals. Smcs operates ludlow dental center in ludlow, vt, and chester family dental in chester, vt. Through its integrated care model, smcs also offers diagnostic lab, radiology, and a full array of acute hospital and specialty services to its patients through springfield hospital, a subsidiary, and other referral sources and partnership arrangements. Primary care services - our primary care network provides ongoing care and outreach to our service area, utilizing a medical home model of care and focusing on prevention and efficient care management. We work closely with the quality improvement collaborative and the vermont blueprint for health to develop and implement strategies for improving overall population health outcomes. Primary care offices, specialty clinics, the local hospital, and appropriate referral sources, for specialists and tertiary care when needed, are utilized to provide the best possible outcomes. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality care, i. E. Appropriate care provided in the appropriate setting, with the end result being improved health outcomes, high patient satisfaction, and improved cost efficiency. A community health team holds monthly public meetings to collaborate and partner with area agencies to remove barriers and improve access to care. The team now exceeds more than 45 organizations and communicates regularly with 185 individual participants -- and the numbers continue to grow. New members are welcomed at each meeting as word of the team spreads throughout the community. The team serves as a central community contact point (similar to a hub and spoke model) to facilitate communications, networking and collaboration among all area services. Through the employment of primary care physicians and allied health professionals in charlestown, nh; ludlow, vt; bellows falls, vt; chester, vt; londonderry, vt; and springfield, vt, smcs provides access to high quality medical care with emphasis on prevention and wellness in these communities. Due to the tenuous economics of rural primary care practices, this physician availability would not exist without smcs support. The ludlow area has been designated by the state of vermont as a health professional shortage area. The state and federal governments have designated the bellows falls, vt and charlestown, nh areas as serving a medically-underserved population. These health centers serve an inordinately high medicare and medicaid caseload. During fy 2017, smcs served a total of 35,159 patients and provided 119,535 visits. Included in this total is primary care, which served 25,574 patients and provided 85,759 visits. Behavioral healthsmcs has a comprehensive outpatient mental health/ substance abuse program and provides outpatient behavioral health counseling and collaborates with the windham center -- the inpatient psychiatric unit operated by its subsidiary, springfield hospital. With early adoption of healthy people 2010 and ncqi medical home guidelines, smcs aggressively integrated behavioral health counseling with primary care medical care by virtue of the on-site stationing of behavioral health at its primary care (fqhc) sites. Smcs practitioners coordinate care with springfield hospital inpatient services and, to an even greater extent, work with springfield hospital emergency department to assist in managing patients that present with mental health related diagnosis. During the fiscal year, smcs served 2,424 mental health patients and provided 18,850 visits. Dental care - smcs' ludlow and chester offices serve a growing need for dental services throughout the smcs primary care service area. Patients from all offices can be referred to the dental centers for care, and a financial assistance program is available for those needing assistance, based on a sliding fee scale. The two locations served 2,957 patients in fy 2017 and provided 6,692 visits. Vision - smcs offers vision services through lane eye associates in springfield, vt and offers comprehensive eye care services including ophthalmology and optometry. In 2017, lane served 3,173 patients and provided 5,331 visits. Plastic, cosmetic & reconstructive surgery - skin cancer clinicsmcs offers plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery services, including skin cancer screening, through the office of gerald a. Drabyn, md. In the 2017 fiscal year, which ended september 30, 2017, dr. Drabyn saw patients at chester and londonderry health center locations and provided care to 418 patients with 1,321 visits. Pharmacy program - smcs operates a 340b pharmacy charity program that helps expand access to affordable medications. Eligible patients can obtain their prescriptions at little to no cost. This program operates in partnership with five local pharmacies in vermont: bellows falls, springfield, and ludlow, ands well as two pharmacies in claremont, nh. Financial assistance for this program totaled $33k. Charity care policy - smcs has a charity care policy under which patients who meet certain criteria will receive care without charge, or at amounts less than established rates. Patients qualify for 50% charity care at up to 200% of the federal poverty guideline. Smcs does not bill patients nor pursue collection of amounts determined to qualify as charity care. In the fiscal year, which ended on september 30, 2017, charges foregone for charity care, based on established rates, amounted to $179k. Springfield urologythrough a contract with dartmouth-hitchcock medical center, smcs offers urology services at springfield urology, 29 ridgewood road, springfield, vt. This service offers patients a local option for needed care and patients from all offices can be referred to this location. In 2017, this office provided 1,582 patient visits. Eligibility assistance and enrollment counseling servicesthrough a partnership arrangement with valley health connections (a designated 501(c)3 non-profit organization), smcs patients can receive certified navigator counseling to help remove barriers and facilitate access to health care for uninsured and under-insured people. Vhc reports many people need guidance to navigate enrollment processes and programs are often difficult to afford for many vermonters. This service includes enrollment assistance for preventive health care, health education and screenings, referrals to providers for ongoing health care through a medical home, and assistance with enrollment in state and local programs that pay for health care and other public programs. Similar enrollment and navigation services are also provided for new hampshire residents who need assistance with new hampshire programs. During the year, valley health connections provided assistance to 1,826 patients. Child day care services - smcs operates two child day care services, with sites located in springfield and bellows falls, vt. The bellows falls program serves children ages six weeks to six years and the springfield program serves children six weeks to five years. Access to safe and educational day care is a vital component to a healthy community. Smcs provides this service to the general population, and financial assistance is available to those in need based on a sliding fee scale. During fiscal year 2017, smcs provided care to 25 children in bellows falls and 34 children in springfield at a subsidy of $49k. Subsidiary - smcs is the parent corporation of springfield hospital. Springfield hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in springfield, vt. Springfield hospital also operates the windham center, a comprehensive inpatient psychiatric care hospital in bellows falls, vt; off-site physical therapy services, three hospital-owned specialty clinics: ent, surgery, orthopaedics, and an adult day care center in springfield, vt.