Summit Medical Group of Oak Ridge

What’s the deal with Preventive Medicine?

Wednesday, April 13th, 2022

Summit Medical Group of Oak Ridge is certified as a Patient-Center Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. What does this mean? What is a PCMH? I’m so glad you asked! (pretend like you asked… for my benefit)

The best way I know to describe the PCMH model is to equate it to a NASCAR pit crew. If you’ve ever seen any auto race you know that the driver doesn’t just hop in the car and go race all by his self. He has an entire team dedicated to ensuring his car and him perform at the highest possible level. In any race if his engine starts struggling, he pulls into the pit and he’s got a guy for that. Tires wearing down, he’s got a guy for that. He bumps into the wall and damages the car, he’s got a guy for that. There’s a wreck up ahead, he’s got a guy looking out for him, speaking through a headset, telling him what has happened and which lane is the best for him to get through. The driver literally has an ENTIRE team solely dedicated and focused on HIM being the absolute best he can be.

That is the Patient-Centered Medical Home model in a nutshell. At your Summit YOU have an entire team dedicated to your health, to you living the best you. You may find yourself saying, “I go to Dr. Eskew because he’s the best.” Well, thank you! And while I’m sure Dr. Eskew would be very appreciative of your confidence in him, he’d be the first to tell you that the high quality of care he provides is a result of an entire team. From his excellent nurses whom I’m sure you’ve met, to others behind the scenes all dedicated to looking after YOU. We have Medical Assistants that support you by helping with special preventive tests and screens. We have a lab, ultrasound and x-ray team to help with any tests you need. We have referral coordinators dedicated to ensuring you get timely specialist appointments scheduled and ensuring your insurance approves the tests for you. As an added benefit of being a part of the Summit network, Summit has an entire Care Coordination team focused on finding you additional resources to better help you understand what you may be going through. They help check on you if you’ve recently been in the hospital and make sure you get a follow up appointment with your doctor.

Summit also has a dedicated Quality Assurance team that looks out for YOUR future as well. Just like that crew chief that looks ahead for the driver and warns him of potential dangers and what to do, a critical part of the PCMH model is to do the same for you through preventive medicine.

Preventive Medicine is exactly what it sounds like, performing certain screens and checks to PREVENT you from developing a particular condition or PREVENTING a condition from worsening. Through various tests and screens we can help you stay on top of your health and live the best life, be the best you!

Some screens or visits we recommend include:

• Annual Wellness Visits- i.e. physicals or Medicare Wellness Visits
• Breast Cancer Screens
• Colorectal Cancer Screens
• High Blood Pressure checks
• Diabetes- A1c checks, foot exams, eye exams, nephropathy checks
• Depression screens
• Immunizations

Author Bio

Kevin Bridges serves as the Practice Administrator at Summit Medical Group of Oak Ridge. Originally a physical therapist, Kevin has been in healthcare for 24 years and healthcare management for over 12 years. In his spare time he and his wife keep busy with three very active sons in a variety of sports.