Presenters
- Jennifer S. Funderburk, PhD, Clinical Research Psychologist, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse, NY
- Ellen Poleshuck, PhD, Psychologist, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
- Luke Mitzel, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, VA Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse, NY
- Bridget Beachy, PsyD, Director of Behavioral Health, Community Health of Central Washington, Selah, Washington
- David Bauman, PhD, Behavioral Health Education Director, Central Washington Family Medicine Residency, Selah, Washington
- David Edelman, MD, Physician/Researcher, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, NC
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight racial and socioeconomic inequities that exist in the United States and result in healthcare disparities. Integrated primary care (IPC) teams with embedded behavioral health providers and/or social workers often strive to meet the needs of patients experiencing psychological concerns as well as unmet social needs. However, IPC teams vary in terms of success in working together to effectively engage patients in care. Optimal functioning of the IPC team is necessary to provide accessible, person-centered care to help improve engagement and outcomes especially for patients facing systemic barriers to equitable care. Thus, this presentation will include three interrelated discussions relevant to team functioning and improving access to care. Drs. Jennifer Funderburk and Ellen Poleshuck will initially review a theoretical framework for access and the specific characteristics of the primary care team that can be modified to improve access to care, including the relationship between team members, willingness/ability of team members to identify and accommodate patient’s needs, and perceptions of each other’s roles. Based on a targeted narrative review on teamwork research, Dr. Luke Mitzel will share recommendations on how IPC teams can optimize working together even when some team members are virtual in order to provide high quality care. The final presentation led by Drs. Bridget Beachy and David Bauman will share lessons learned from high performing teams during the COVID-19 pandemic, including discussions of providing access to care for patients with psychological distress and comorbid unmet social needs with relevant case examples. Then, Dr. David Edelman will lead a discussion providing his perspective on this topic as an experienced medical provider working within teams.
Objectives
- 1. Learn what modifiable characteristics of an integrated primary care team are related to access to care
- 2. Identify evidence-based strategies to improve team functioning within a team that has virtual team members
- 3. Describe the lessons learned from high performing teams that were utilized to ensure high access to care for patients
