December 5, 2020
For nurse practitioner Kirt Greenlee, it started out as a routine visit at the local nursing center for a ripped toenail. Casually, the patient asked if he could also look at what seemed to be an ant bite on his elbow. Greenlee quickly identified that the small raised bump was not the result of a bug bite, but an abscess caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA. He immediately started the patient on a course of antibiotics to get the condition under control. Had Greenlee not caught this early, the patient could have suffered serious complications, potentially leading to a hospital admission. The bacteria could have also spread to other residents, causing even more harm.
Situations like this are typical in Greenlee’s role as a nurse practitioner at Premier Medical Group. Unlike most providers who work in one clinic all day, Greenlee spends the first part of his morning visiting patients at the local nursing facility, Attala County Nursing Center, and goes into the clinic afterward. On a typical morning, he sees about three to eight patients with a variety of ailments, including congestion, urinary tract infections, COPD exacerbations, and upper respiratory tract infections. Greenlee then goes into the clinic where he sees more patients and is available to the nursing center by phone.
Setting up this workflow took a lot of collaboration with Attala County Nursing Center. Previously, they were hesitant to contact providers for fear that they were bothering them. With this partnership, we set clear expectations upfront so they know when and how to communicate with the practice. Patients receive the best care when we all work together, rather than in individual silos.
Going to the nursing center daily is important. It allows Greenlee to catch conditions early that could otherwise snowball into debilitating illnesses, like a cough that could turn into pneumonia. Greenlee can take simple steps, like prescribing steroids or antibiotics, to keep the patient healthy and prevent an unpleasant and stressful trip to the emergency room.
This work is also important because as a member of an accountable care organization (ACO), Premier Medical Group takes responsibility for the quality and cost of its patients’ care. By catching minor conditions early on, Greenlee prevents expensive emergency room visits and hospital stays.
Greenlee says “my favorite part of my job is taking an active role in protecting the quality of life of my patients.” Once a patient ends up in the hospital, they often lose some of their independence and freedom, and are at risk of contracting additional infections. The care that Greenlee provides truly helps achieve the goal of reducing costs while improving quality, which aligns with the goals of the Aledade Mississippi and Tennessee ACO. Premier Medical Group and the other partner practices are making huge differences in patients’ lives and bringing better value care to their communities through their ACO work.