Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice earns national recognition for patient-centered care
Patient-Centered Medical Home™ standards emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician affiliation.
MEDIA CONTACT
Kena Lewis, APR[email protected]
ORLANDO, FL (July 31, 2014) – Can you contact your doctor 24 hours a day? If your doctor’s practice is a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), the answer is yes. Being available to patients during and after regular business hours is just one of the many benefits provided by the Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice, which was recently recognized by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient Centered Medical Home. The practice is one of only six
groups in Central Florida to meet the standards for PCMH that emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician affiliations.
“This recognition is for the highest level of achievement as a PCMH,” said Jamal Hakim, MD, interim president and CEO, Orlando Health. “It shows that our Internal Medicine practice has the tools, systems, and resources to provide patients with the right care at the right time and that we are clearly improving the health of our community.”
To receive recognition, which is valid for three years, the Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements embodying characteristics of the medical home including open scheduling, expanded hours and appropriate use of proven health information systems. Each patient’s care is tended to by clinical-led care teams, who provide for all the patient’s health care needs and coordinate treatments across the health care system.
“We are very pleased to have earned this prestigious recognition but even more pleased at what it means for patients,” said Cynthia Powell, MD, president, Orlando Health Physician Group (OHPG) and director of the Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice. “Patients are the center of our team and we make sure we provide them with education and information so they are informed and involved in their healthcare.”
Research shows that PCMHs can lead to higher quality and lower costs. “With the success of this pilot program at our Internal Medicine practice, we will definitely explore other areas where this model applies,” said Wayne Jenkins, MD, Senior Vice President, Orlando Health and President, Orlando Health Physician Partners. “Innovative programs such as this benefit patients and providers alike, and are at the forefront of American healthcare.”
The Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice consists of nine clinicians:
- Cynthia Powell, MD, is board certified in internal medicine. In addition to serving as president of OHPG and director of the practice, Dr. Powell is also academic chair of Orlando Health’s Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Powell works closely with the Cancer Medicine Specialty Section at UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health to help provide complete medical care to all cancer patients. She received her medical degree from the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at Orlando Health, serving as chief resident.
- Kwabena Ayesu, MD is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Ayesu earned his medical degree from the Charles University School of Medicine in the Czech Republic and completed his internship at Saint Elizabeths Hospital Department of Mental Health in Washington, D.C.
- Christina Chen, MD is board certified in internal medicine and serves as a member of the Internal Medicine Faculty Practice at Orlando Health. Dr. Chen also works closely with and supports the Cancer Medicine Specialty Section at UF Health Cancer Center – Orlando Health to provide services and specialized care to cancer patients. She earned her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed her internal medicine residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis.
- Benjamin Kaplan, MD is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Kaplan works closely with the Cancer Medicine Specialty Section at UF Health Cancer Center – Orlando Health to ensure comprehensive treatment as well as supportive care for all cancer patients. He earned his medical degree from the Medical School for International Health in collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Kaplan completed his internal medicine residency at Saint Barnabas Medical Center where he served as assistant chief resident. Dr. Kaplan also holds a Master’s of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has a special interest in international health and medicine with a focus on cardiovascular disease and sports medicine.
- Caroline Nguyen-Min, MD is board eligible in internal medicine. Dr. Nguyen (pr: “Wen”) earned her medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine and completed her internal medicine chief residency at Orlando Health, where she also served as chief resident. She begins practicing at the Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice September 1, 2014.
- April Oxford, MD is board eligible in internal medicine. Dr. Oxford earned her medical degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles and completed her internal medicine residency at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, GA.
- David Smuckler, MD is dual board certified in internal medicine and geriatrics. He received his medical degree at Georgetown University and completed his internal medicine residency as well as his internal medicine internship at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where he formerly served as medical director of the emergency room. As a Geriatrician, Dr. Smuckler specializes in care of the elderly and possesses the knowledge and expertise needed to accommodate seniors.
- Farah Bess, ARNP, is board-certified in geriatrics and works closely with Dr. Smuckler in the Memory Disorder Clinic as well as with Internal Medicine patients.
- Jeanine Febres, ARNP-C started with the practice in May 2014 and works closely with Dr. Powell.
The Orlando Health Internal Medicine practice also employs the expertise of two licensed clinical social workers; Audrey Burnett and Katie Mahoney; Registered Dietitian, Lauren Popek; Certified Diabetic Educator, Sylvia Nadon, RN, and three care coordinators; Kelli Bungay, RN, Vicki Forman, RN, and James Martinez-Ruiz, RN.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $3.4 billion not-for-profit healthcare organization with more than 2,400 beds serving Central Florida and beyond. Consisting of eight wholly-owned or affiliated hospitals and rehabilitation centers, Orlando Health has the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics, and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. They are: Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC); Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children; Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies; Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center; Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital; Orlando Health – Health Central Hospital; Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital; Orlando Health South Lake Hospital; affiliate, St. Cloud Regional Medical Center.
The organization includes Orlando Health Medical Group and Orlando Health Physician Associates, two of the region’s largest multi-specialty practices; a renowned cancer center – Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center (with free-standing sites in downtown Orlando, the Dr. Phillips community in southwest Orlando, Lake Mary, Ocoee and Clermont); four outpatient surgery centers; 10 wholly-owned, affiliated or partnership urgent care centers; and a majority interest in an entity operating five outpatient imaging centers.
More than 2,900 physicians have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 20,000 employees who support our philosophy of providing high-quality care and service that revolves around patients’ needs. Orlando Health proves this everyday with more than 112,000 inpatient admissions, more than 2.4 million outpatient visits and more than 10,000 international patients each year. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $450 million in total value to the community in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more.
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