Editors Note: Bridging the gap between hospital and community, In 2016, Columbia Nursing’s faculty practice, ColumbiaDoctors Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Group, launched their new house calls service, which allows the Nurse Practitioner Group to offer primary care services directly in the homes of patients who need it the most. It is for those who have difficulty leaving home and who need comprehensive, in-home primary care—including chronic disease management and follow-up care after hospitalization. The goal is to provide clear, comprehensive, and actionable treatment plans within the comfort of a patient’s home. On November 21 2020, the Manhattan Times featured this program in an article entitled Puzzle Practice.
When all else fails, call the super. Reaching out to the building superintendent in times of trouble is a mainstay of apartment living, especially in densely populated cities like New York. Nurse Practitioner Marie Carmel Garcon, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing at ColumbiaDoctors, knows to turn to the super to reach her patients.
“Many of our patients live alone. They don’t have any family or caregivers to help them,” explained Garcon, who provides regular checkups at home. “One patient, I sometimes need to go to the [building] super to let me in. They don’t have anyone else.”
Read the full article in the Manhattan Times.
