Partnership Offers Alternatives to Emergency Care

 AUBURN, WA, June 9, 2009 - Auburn Regional Medical Center (ARMC) and HealthPoint, a Community Health Center, have announced an innovative new partnership which offers alternatives to emergency department (ED) care for patients. The hospital and Community Health Center are working together to reduce ED utilization and to connect patients to a health care home with a primary care provider.

In announcing the partnership, Thomas Trompeter, CEO of HealthPoint, said, "The Community Health Center model has a record of successful outcomes in the treatment of the underserved and we are well positioned to offer a health care home to those in the Auburn area. With the changing economy, both HealthPoint and ARMC have seen significant increases in demand for services and collaborations like this have significantly reduced ED visits."

The partnership supports patients by helping them establish a relationship with a primary care provider when they seek help in the ED for non-emergency health problems.  Patients are triaged and given medical treatment before being referred to HealthPoint for follow-up care. They are also given a "golden ticket" which ensures they will receive priority treatment when they visit the clinic. Extended clinic hours at HealthPoint began last month with evenings and weekends for primary health care. In addition to offering behavioral health care and case management services, patients are also screened for eligibility for insurance programs and may be eligible for assistance with medical costs through a sliding scale fee program.

Steve Patonai, Chief Executive Officer at Auburn Regional Medical Center, said, "This collaboration brings together two organizations with community roots whose shared efforts will increase patients' access to regular sources of care and reduce dependency on the ED as the first choice for non-emergency care.  The ability to give our patients access to primary care physicians will have long-term positive outcomes."

The Auburn project is one of four across the state (Auburn, Bellingham, Tri-Cities and Spokane) and is funded by monies from Washington State DSHS.