Stephens Memorial Hospital of Western Maine Health located in Norway, ME.
As a small rural hospital that runs a full service Emergency Department, Western Maine Health (WMH) based in Norway, ME, needs 24/7 general surgical call coverage. As the Norway community’s population decreased over the last several years, so has the demand for WMH’s emergency services and 24/7 in-person on-call coverage. Leadership at WHM and Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland recognized this shift in demand as an opportunity to increase efficiency and best use care team members in new ways. Together, the institutions developed a novel care team model.
In this new remote care model, patients who present at the WMH Emergency Department with general surgery needs are typically triaged for transfer or admission to WMH by the local hospitalist staff, with the consultative support of a covering MMC surgeon. After a weekend of 24/7 call, a WMH general surgeon then passes off service to the covering MMC surgeon. The coverage care model and supporting protocols ensure that there is coverage and effective hand– offs throughout every weekend.
The shared coverage care model enables WMH and MMC care team members to view the patient record and document treatment in the electronic medical record in the same way. This care model is supported by a Community Call Plan based on Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) guidance. This model also has the support of MaineHealth regulatory and legal partners.
“We’ve been doing this for a year and half with good success!” says one team member. “Patients that can remain local stay local, those that need transfer are transferred, and our local surgeons can maintain sustainable call expectations.”
TEAM
Brad Cushing, MD
Surgeon
Maine Medical Partners/Maine Medical Center
Baird Mallory, MD
Pediatric Surgeon
Maine Medical Partners/Maine Medical Center
Jonathan Dreifus, MD
Surgeon
Maine Medical Partners/Maine Medical Center
Greg Hardy, MD
OB/GYN & Former Chief Medical Officer
Western Maine Health
Ross Isacke, DO
Hospitalist
Maine Medical Partners/Western Maine Health
Daniel Meyer, MD
Hospitalist
Maine Medical Partners/Western Maine Health
Ryan Knapp, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Western Maine Health
Jane Lee, MD
Surgeon
Western Maine Health
Eric Osborne, DO
Surgeon
Western Maine Health
Chris Connors, MD
Anesthesiologist
Spectrum Healthcare Partners
Karen Gurney
Practice Manager
Western Maine Health
Jack Packham
Vice President, Surgical Services
Maine Medical Partners/Maine Medical Center
Josh Barnes-Livermore
Director, Surgical Services
Maine Medical Partners/Maine Medical Center
Our Purpose
MaineHealth Innovation builds connections to drive diversity of thought, educates to produce creative problem-solvers and funds to accelerate ideas. By leveraging the ideas, insights and expertise of all care team members to develop novel solutions to our unmet care needs, we are working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
