Page 48 - UHN's Year In Review 2013-14: Courage is Daring to Lead
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Medical and Community Care
S.C.O.P.E.: Preventing return visits to emergency room
S.C.O.P.E. brings family doctors, CCAC and Toronto hospitals together to reduce the demand on emergency
departments. (Video: UHN/YouTube)
Family physician Dr. Bill Dr. Etzkorn: Even though joined a new pilot project
Etzkorn doesn’t have a these patients visited him called Seamless Care
“typical” patient. regularly, they were all also Optimizing the Patient
making repeated visits to the Experience (S.C.O.P.E). Members of the S.C.O.P.E team, above, work with family doctors in the community to help reduce
They come from all walks avoidable visits to the emergency department. ( Photo: UHN)
of life. Some are living with emergency department (ED). Teaming up for patients
a single chronic condition, Dr. Etzkorn, whose family S.C.O.P.E. provides 30
like diabetes, others battle practice clinic is a few blocks community-based family reduce avoidable emergency and the Toronto Central age spectrum who are dealing
multiple diseases at the same from Toronto Western physicians, including Dr. department visits and hospital Community Care Access with multiple conditions such
time, such as heart disease Hospital, knew these trips Etzkorn, with access to a admissions for high-needs Centre. as diabetes and cancer, as
and arthritis. were preventable and that hub of health-care providers, patients. “Our elderly population is well as mental health issues
there had to be a way to end including a nurse navigator, and poverty,” said Dr. Pauline
Despite the differences, The program is thanks to a living much longer and their Pariser, lead physician for
there is one thing a small the cycle. health coaches, CCAC* partnership between UHN’s health can become quite S.C.O.P.E.
group of his patients share – Determined to reduce coordinator and hospital- Toronto Western Hospital, fragile, not to mention there
which more than surprised patients’ return visits, he based specialists to help Women’s College Hospital are many patients across the (Continued on next page)
48 49
S.C.O.P.E.: Preventing return visits to emergency room
S.C.O.P.E. brings family doctors, CCAC and Toronto hospitals together to reduce the demand on emergency
departments. (Video: UHN/YouTube)
Family physician Dr. Bill Dr. Etzkorn: Even though joined a new pilot project
Etzkorn doesn’t have a these patients visited him called Seamless Care
“typical” patient. regularly, they were all also Optimizing the Patient
making repeated visits to the Experience (S.C.O.P.E). Members of the S.C.O.P.E team, above, work with family doctors in the community to help reduce
They come from all walks avoidable visits to the emergency department. ( Photo: UHN)
of life. Some are living with emergency department (ED). Teaming up for patients
a single chronic condition, Dr. Etzkorn, whose family S.C.O.P.E. provides 30
like diabetes, others battle practice clinic is a few blocks community-based family reduce avoidable emergency and the Toronto Central age spectrum who are dealing
multiple diseases at the same from Toronto Western physicians, including Dr. department visits and hospital Community Care Access with multiple conditions such
time, such as heart disease Hospital, knew these trips Etzkorn, with access to a admissions for high-needs Centre. as diabetes and cancer, as
and arthritis. were preventable and that hub of health-care providers, patients. “Our elderly population is well as mental health issues
there had to be a way to end including a nurse navigator, and poverty,” said Dr. Pauline
Despite the differences, The program is thanks to a living much longer and their Pariser, lead physician for
there is one thing a small the cycle. health coaches, CCAC* partnership between UHN’s health can become quite S.C.O.P.E.
group of his patients share – Determined to reduce coordinator and hospital- Toronto Western Hospital, fragile, not to mention there
which more than surprised patients’ return visits, he based specialists to help Women’s College Hospital are many patients across the (Continued on next page)
48 49
