The healthcare industry is undergoing major shifts, and it’s affecting patients and healthcare workers alike.

“We knew our care team was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of work that needed to be accomplished on a daily basis,” says Lindsay Gainer, Director of Clinical Services and Innovation at North Shore Physician Group. “Additionally, patients were also impacted by long wait times and decreased level of service. We wanted to deliver care in a new and more efficient way, and we knew we needed to make big changes to accomplish that goal.”

Big changes are happening in healthcare as a whole, and some organizations are responding with big changes to their infrastructure that better meet the new norm. They’re rethinking traditional frameworks and implementing new models to better serve their patients, their healthcare employees and their business.

One recent trend that appears to be helping solve some of healthcare’s current dilemmas is something we call T.E.A.M.-based care. This model is helping to:

• improve staff, provider and patient satisfaction.
• create opportunities for career advancement.
• give patients a more consistent experience, putting them at ease.
• ensure a patient’s needs don’t fall through the cracks.
• improve trust between healthcare providers and patients.
• decrease healthcare costs by about 60% in a patient-centered primary care model.(1)

Seem too good to be true? This trend continues to show positive results, and it’s creating a new standard of care.

What’s it all about? It revolves around one key player — the Medical Assistant. It involves elevating and refining the role of the Medical Assistant, making them central to the patient’s experience.

This trend doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, and it could drastically improve your day-to-day, which is why we’re sharing insights with you through our continuing education program. In our T.E.A.M.-based care articles, you will:

• be introduced to the concept of T.E.A.M.-based care.
• learn how and why this care model is becoming the accepted standard in patient care.
• discover the skills you need to thrive in a T.E.A.M.-based care environment.

If you are currently NHA certified, you already have access to this content! To access this information to empower yourself with knowledge about one of the newest trends in healthcare, log in to our certification portal. You’ll see content about T.E.A.M.-based care, as well as other CE resources available to you 24/7.

Whether you’re preparing for recertification or you are just interested in extending your professional knowledge, our certification portal can help you stay current with your education to support your professional development. Your success is our success!

(1) Masterson, Kathleen. “A Team-Based Approach to Primary Care.” University of California San Francisco, 26 Aug. 2014. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/08/116856/team-based-approach-primary-care