Team-Based Care
“What they do for me, I wish they could do that for everybody.”
—Eugene, client
When Eugene has a medical need, he calls up Dr. Tyler Gray.
Dr. Gray helps him manage ongoing health challenges, like his high blood pressure. And if something unexpected happens, like when Eugene had a stroke a few months ago, Dr. Gray helps him through that, too.
But like most of us, sometimes Eugene has more than just medical needs.
He wrestles with depression and anxiety. For years, he didn’t have a home. It’s hard to get healthy and housed when you’re only addressing one need at a time.
Luckily, Eugene is on a care team.
A care team is a group of providers from across many disciplines who work together to care for shared clients. Care team members include doctors, therapists, nurses, medical assistants, community health workers and more.
Thanks to his care team, Eugene doesn’t have to run around between offices to get the help he needs. Everything is here, in one spot.
And care teams work best when providers talk to each other.
At our West Baltimore clinic, where Eugene goes, team members share space so it’s easy to coordinate care. They address client needs during routine huddles. Or over impromptu conversations at the printer or watercooler.
All of our clinics have care teams, but not all team members sit close to each other. In 2019, we’re starting to change that by moving care teams at our Downtown clinic into shared spaces—so clients like Eugene get the coordinated care they need.