MedElite is pioneering a modern collaborative care model that extends specialty access and elevates patient care in nursing homes. In a nutshell, a remote, “collaborating physician” will act as the trusted backup, teacher, and overall guide for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who work independently as the primary clinical touchpoint for facilities. Being remote, the physician is able to assist these primary care providers (PCPs) on an as-needed basis—when they’re working toward specialty medical certifications, when they’re with a patient, and everywhere in-between.
Dubbed the “Collaborating Physician,” this innovative care model creates wins—for the physicians, the PCPs, the nursing home facilities, and the patients all three parties serve. And these wins are both immediate and long-lasting.
1.) Physicians Win by Expanding Their Medical Legacy
By providing remote support for on-site PCPs, physicians can now expand their medical reach from the comfort of their favorite seat. Physically, they can’t be in two places at once. Virtually, they can be in three or more, supplying critical guidance on nuanced cases, billing accuracy, and medical decisions to PCPs working across different facilities—and even states.
Partnering with PCPs through this collaborative care approach helps both current and future patients. Because by being a mentor figure for these providers as they keep developing professionally, collaborating physicians are shepherding those who will ultimately determine the future of skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) and long-term care (LTC).
As Dana Ritchie, AHCA/NCAL’s associate vice president of constituency services and workforce, frames it, “The future of the profession depends on inspiring the next generation to see healthcare, and specifically long-term care, as a meaningful and sustainable career.”
2.) Primary Care Providers Win by Advancing in Their Craft
Upskilling in accordance with state-specific compliance requirements and in pursuit of different medical certifications is generally easier said than done. But by having a dedicated collaborating physician they can access whenever they need, NPs and PAs can advance in their craft much more swiftly.
The ability to ask questions of and learn from top-tier professionals in a supportive setting isn’t always common. And its value can’t be overstated. Because as detailed in UPenn Nursing, highly skilled PCPs are only continuing to become more necessary: “NPs have proven their effectiveness… It is abundantly clear that nurse practitioners will be a vital component of future American healthcare services.”
3.) Nursing Homes Win by Leveling-Up Their Medical Teams
The size and quality of a medical team can be the difference between a nursing home facility taking on more patients or ultimately closing. So, as LTC facilities still struggle to add more medical personnel, the ability to elevate the expertise of their current teams—through the continuous upskilling of their PCPs and the anytime access to remote physicians—is a much needed victory.
“Without innovative meaningful solutions and investment into long-term care, seniors will face a future of increasingly limited care options,” AHCA/NCAL explains in their Access to Care Report. The same report details how the constriction of medical teams contributed to 774 nursing homes closing and 28,421 residents being displaced over a four year span. Meaning solutions like the Collaborative Physician can help keep and create open beds for the seniors in our communities.
4.) Patients Win by Receiving Care from Increasingly Proficient Practitioners
While most nursing home patients observed in a 2023 study reported being satisfied, others expressed being discontent with the quality of care they received. The Collaborative Physician helps raise this quality, as patients get the detailed care they need from PCPs who are actively advancing in their craft and supported by seasoned doctors.
There can be twice as many eyes and minds assessing and addressing a patient’s situation, no matter how simple or nuanced. Ensuring every resident receives the mental attention and dignified care they deserve.
Wins Now Lead to More Wins Later
MedElite’s Collaborating Physician model generates multiple wins in the here and now. Which in turn sets the stage for more victories in the long-term, when nursing home needs are expected to balloon. Right now, the average nursing home resident is 79-years-old. In a decade, there may be over 8 million more U.S. adults aged 80 or older than there are today.
The patients will be there. And with the adoption of innovations like the Collaborating Physician, the nursing home industry will be ready to help them.