The Suitcase Clinic

Protocol:

COCA referrals
Charting encounter
Referrals to TLC (physician referral vs. untrained referral)

MOUs

While it is troubling to discover SC has no malpractice insurance, our discussion was very useful.  Thanks for your time.  I have enlisted Nina to help us with the UC side of this issue in setting up a business contract that may extend insurance to faculty members.  She has informed Tom, but I intend to meet with him on this.  I have also discussed the two-pronged approach with Alan, who was supportive and did not seem resistant in setting up a relationship with LMC.

Moreover, Dr. Huen seems confident that we can set something up.  He also re-stated that the federal insurance dollars come first, before NorCal. Please contact him to work on clarifying the feedback we are getting from Robin and NorCal.

Ultimately, it would be nice to establish a formal relationship with LMC. One in which community docs (and maybe faculty in the short term) can enlist as Lifelong Clinic/Suitcase Clinic volunteers in the LMC-SC program, going through the official LMC volunteer process but continuing in their commitment to us as a separate but collaborative clinic program.  Formally, we might become a “collaborating community site” for LMC to offer free services, but independent as a clinic and in mission.

In return, a number of things: including stricter record keeping and some form of reporting to the volunteer coordinator at LMC of encounters and physician time(?).  We are open to other recommendations, especially considering we have some new funding.  We would also welcome LMC physicians who chose to serve at Suitcase, providing they are interested in the social teaching model we provide.  Following this line of reasoning, we need to be very clear about Suitcase’s capabilities and mission.  Not only can we not provide the “pseudo-primary care” offered at Lifelong Clinic, but we are limited even in our urgent care services.

This, of course, could spring into other areas of collaboration.  As we have discussed, SC has strong funding so far.  We could “pool” this money with LMC to obtain pharmaceutical and other medical supplies from/through LMC. We might also be able to access some limited form of free-prescription services through LMC.  I would also be interested in establishing some preceptorships at LMC in the long run, as we are limited in our exposure to primary care.  At the very least, it would be great to get some of the JMP students over to Lifelong Clinic to see things in action.

I would be interested in what you think.  However, this is only me spouting off.  I am more interested in seeing about moving forward.  Suggestions?

Have we researched what we need to research?  With whom should we meet to hammer things out? (Robin (insurance), volunteer coordinator, Medical Director, Marty, Lifelong Clinic coordinator)

Will