Coming home to HealthPoint

"Health care home" is a term you hear frequently in medical circles. It refers to the place where a person regularly gets their primary care-the place that holds their medical history, and the place they turn to first for prevention and treatment.

Having a health care home is more than a nice idea-studies show that people who have one are healthier than people who don't.

At HealthPoint, we provide a health care home for King County residents who might not otherwise have one.  Karen, 43, believes her quality of life has improved since she became a patient at HealthPoint Auburn four years ago.  She initially sought care for a cold, but has since received a broad range of services.

"I've tried a little bit of everything," she laughs.

As a person with asthma, diabetes, chronic knee pain, and bipolar disorder, Karen's health issues can be complicated. She notes that, in the past, her health care had become a confusing tangle of providers and prescriptions. Since becoming one of our patients, Karen has been able to simplify her care-and has seen better results.

"I take a very active role in my health care, and the doctors at HealthPoint let me do that. Not all doctors do," she says.  "I also like HealthPoint because the people are so personable. I walk in and they immediately say, 'Hi, Karen, how ya doin'?"

Karen ticks off a list of health improvements she's experienced since becoming a HealthPoint patient. For her knee pain, she once took morphine and other medications. Today she manages her pain with Tylenol, meditation, and warm water therapy. Instrumental in her treatment is a pain management support group that Karen helped us develop, and in which she now serves as a voice of experience for new members. She also swears by acupuncture.

"I'm a big fan of Dr. Griffin, my acupuncturist,"  she says.  "He is fantastic.  The first time I saw him, I was pain-free for seven hours.  That was the first time I'd been pain-free in years."

Karen has found ways to improve her other chronic illnesses as well. After an especially severe onset of asthma, she worked with both traditional and naturopathic doctors to map a more effective plan for controlling the disease. And she now manages her diabetes without insulin or other medication.

Karen credits much of her positive experience at HealthPoint to Heidi Butler, her patient care coordinator.

"Heidi is a joy. I absolutely love her," she says. "The other day I missed an appointment, and she called to make sure I was OK.  I had just overslept, but since it was unlike me to miss an appointment, she called to check. I love that she looks out for me."

Soon, Karen may move from Auburn to Tacoma. But she says she will still get her care at HealthPoint.

"I'll find a way to keep going to HealthPoint," she says.  "I tried getting care at another clinic for about six months, but it wasn't the same. It was very antiseptic. At HealthPoint, I feel like they really care about me. I feel welcomed."

We think that's what having a health care home is all about.