which brings me to talk about my new job. Yes, I have a new part-time job. I still work at my old job of the past five years, faithful employee at Grayson & Assoc, but I have cut that back to three days a week. Which leaves me with two extra days....
I'm not exactly sure what my title is: Medical Home Assessment Nurse Practitioner? or maybe something like..... Random Nurse Who Comes to Your House to Ask You 200034 Random Questions. That one sounds better.
Let me give you the run down of what I do. We've all been hearing/reading about new plans for healthcare right? Well, I would like to think that I am of the chosen few who are putting those plans into action in a tiny form in our neck of the woods here in Bama. I am employed by VivaHealth which happens to be a cutout (another form) of Medicare. Oh blessed Medicare. Much medical research has shown that 12% of all medical spending in the US goes towards diabetic care. 12 freaking %... that's alot just for one medical problem. So it's probably a good idea to figure out how we can crack down on medical costs for one of the big spenders... diabetes.. and most people with diabetes are on Medicare. So we have this glorious plan with diabetic Medicare patients......
MY JOB in the grand scheme of things is to go to each individual patient's home and assess them: how they are doing, is their blood work up to date, do they check their sugars. Actually I'm more like an auditor.. I get to review the primary physician's orders and such and then compare it to how I think the patient is currently doing. If I don't think they are doing so well and need further testing or the MD needs to check up on certain things, then I get to make suggestions about what they need to do. I send all this info back to Medicare and they in turn send my "suggestions" to the MD. Isn't that so nice? Just another check and balance in our lovely world.
Alabama is one of 7 states piloting this new program... and Jefferson County is the only area in AL. There are 4 of us NPs traveling around Jeff Co.... I believe there are around 1300 people JUST in Jeff Co who are in this program (told ya there are lots of diabetics in the country).
So far the new job is going great... I'm getting the hang of everything. The only down side that I have seen so far is the heat. Tuesday I saw 7 patients... 2 of the 7 had AC in their house. FOR REAL. I was sweating the entire day. Not perspiring, but gushing sweat. It was disgusting. I don't know how those old people do it.
I"m off again tomorrow to see more patients .... hopefully this new plan will bring some change to our sick country. At least to the diabetics.
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