South Carolina House Calls (SCHC) has taken social work to a virtual level with their new Patient Service Coordinator (PSC) role. The new position designed to increase a provider's efficiency when seeing patients through telehealth or face to face has been well received in the community.
The SCHC team of 12 social workers based in the Center for Telehealth in Columbia performs virtual outreach to patients throughout South Carolina. Trent Praytor, VP for Hospice and Palliative Care, stated, "the benefit of this initiative is an ability to reach more patients with meaningful Advanced Care Planning (ACP) conversations as well as providing traditional social work services.
Each social worker on the team has received specialized training for Serious Illness Conversations through the Carolina Center. The social workers are assigned specific regions and work with the same providers within those regions. Teamwork and continuity of care are both crucial elements of the program.
The PSC provides a proactive path for ACP conversation with the patient and then transmits those conversations to the provider who sees the patient on the same day. This process gives the provider a thorough understanding of where a patient is regarding healthcare goals, expectations, and desired treatment options.
SC House Calls is a network of nearly 300 medical professionals providing In-home medical house calls and Telehealth visits to Private Residences, Assisted Living Communities, and Skilled Nursing Facilities. SC House Calls serves all 46 Counties of South Carolina. New patient registration, appointments, and 24-7 access to medical professionals is available through its Center for Telehealth @ 800-491-0909
