Healthcare is confusing! That’s where Care Coordination comes in. Our Care Coordination program helps individuals navigate the healthcare system and find the resources they need to meet their health and wellness goals. Our team works alongside clients to make sure they get the most out of their care, so they can lead enjoyable, fulfilling lives.
What Does Guild’s Care Coordination Team Do?
Our goal of Care Coordination is to make sure that each client’s needs are heard and that all providers are on the same page. First, our Care Coordinators meet with clients to discuss their health and wellness goals and to make an ongoing care plan. Common client goals include securing ongoing mental health, medical, and dental care. From there, our staff work with clients to help them navigate the medical system and understand what benefits are offered to them through their health plan.
Once the client understands what benefits are available to them, our Care Coordinators help them access the proper services by referring them to the right providers. Sometimes this means referring clients to other programs at Guild. Other times, it means referring clients to providers outside of Guild. From supporting clients when they are making appointments to helping with transportation, our team is there to break down barriers as they arise. And, our team is mobile, which means clients don’t need to come into our office—they can receive services via phone or out in the community.
To join Guild’s Care Coordination program, clients with Medical Assistance must be referred to Guild through their health plan. Health plans make these referrals after reviewing an individual’s health history, needs, and other medical information to determine if they could benefit from Care Coordination. If so, the health plan will make a referral. After getting referred, Guild staff will meet with a client to discuss their goals for the program.
Who Does Care Coordination Help?
Guild’s Care Coordination services help adults who are disabled and have chronic health conditions to access and secure ongoing care. Care Coordination partners with clients to develop a holistic health plan, including physical, medical, and dental needs. It will help individuals:
- Identify, understand, and manage health needs.
- Access regular preventative medical care, dental care, and medications.
- Coordinate transportation to and from healthcare appointments.
Clients benefit from having a knowledgeable staff member to advocate for them and help them through the system. Program Manager Laura comments, “Care Coordinators are a consistent presence for their members and often become the go-to person to answer questions or to help advocate for member’s needs.”
What’s it Like Being a Part of the Care Coordination Team?
We asked our staff, and the answers are in! On a typical day, Guild Care Coordinator Cindy checks in with clients “about the progress of their goals and objectives and [we] discuss any referrals needed or coordination with their providers.”
Typical daily tasks for our Care Coordinators include verifying providers have the correct information for our clients, ensuring that all providers (and the client!) are on the same page, and making sure clients are receiving the best care available to them.
“The most enjoyable part of my job,” says Guild Care Coordinator/Systems Navigator Nankarba, “is being able to answer client questions or provide them with the resources they need to help answer their questions.”
And, luckily, our Care Coordination team was the first Guild team to test out working from home—well before COVID-19 hit! This experience and planning definitely come in handy for the team now that staff are working from home to stay safe and healthy.
Still curious? Learn more about Guild’s Care Coordination program today!