Michael Tracy, MD, practices internal medicine and pediatrics in rural Powell, Wyoming, as a member of the Powell Valley Healthcare medical staff. Deeply committed to practice improvement, Tracy serves as the “pilot guy” for his 11-person physician practice.
When three physicians left the practice at about the same time, the resulting crush of patients trying to get appointments motivated change. “We had a real access problem. I had been paying attention to IHI’s work for a couple of years, and was eager to try some new things like advanced access.”
So the practice reduced appointment types from six to two, and has moved to advanced access scheduling, modified to accommodate patients who drive as far as 100 miles for an appointment and can’t come the same day they call.
Piloting a registry for diabetes patients — the most common condition in his practice — Tracy is tracking their needs and providing proactive, planned care at a rate far higher than his colleagues, resulting in significantly better outcomes. Tracy uses an apt metaphor to describe this type of care. “You can’t rely on memory, you have to plan. It’s like skiing. If you’re looking at your ski tips, you’ll crash. If you look up and start planning a couple of turns ahead, you’ll do much better.”
02/01/2007
