EPH Physician Clinic implementing changes to improve care, service, efficiency

A healthcare professional wearing a stethoscope examines a young child sitting on an examination table. The room features a wall decorated with branch and leaf patterns.
Pediatrician Dr. Megan Ross sees patients at Estes Park Health.

The Estes Park Health Physician Clinic is rolling out a new staffing model in the clinic to begin on September 3, 2024. The clinic wants to be sure you hear about these changes before they happen. There will be no changes to your PCP (Primary Care Provider). The new staffing model uses teams of people who will be more focused on one role instead of individuals who have many roles. This will help us be more efficient in providing care to you and providing it in a timelier fashion. Here are the changes that will take place in the coming months:

A woman wearing a stethoscope and a maroon top smiles while leaning on a counter in a medical office. Another person in purple scrubs works at a computer in the background.

Robyn Zehr, DO, is one of Estes Park Health's Family Practice doctors.

* We have already changed how urgent/same-day appointments work so you should notice that you are able to see your PCP more often during these times instead of one doctor set aside to see patients with urgent needs.

* You may notice the person checking you in for your appointment might be someone different. We are making a few staffing adjustments in that area, and then going forward you should see the same rooming assistants for your appointments.

* There will be a team responsible for procedures and nurse visits. You will have someone from this team who will take care of your vaccines, allergy shots, ear washings, etc. during your appointments and nurse visits.

* There will be a team of nurses who will take your phone calls. We will be revising the clinic phone tree to give you direct access to a nurse, and the ability to leave a voicemail for urgent calls during business hours. This will be called the Urgent Nurse Line. These voicemails will be answered as soon as possible the same day, so if you need medical care that cannot wait several hours then you should seek care in the ED or Urgent Care Center. After 5 p.m., there will not be an option to leave a voicemail but there will be directions for connecting you with the on-call provider. The Urgent Nurse Line will not handle urgent medication refill requests.

* The Triage Nurse is transitioning to the Internal Medicine Nurse and the Family Medicine & Pediatric Nurse. These nurses will still discuss your concerns and recommend care based on protocols. They will also prioritize calls based on urgency as they have always done. They will not be able to provide care for walk-in patients, so it’s best for you to call instead.

* Clinic Registration has increased its staffing, so you should be able to get through to a staff person more easily now. Non-urgent calls should be handled by Clinic Registration, and the Urgent Nurse Line should be reserved for urgent calls.

* All medication refills should be initiated through the pharmacy instead of the clinic. This is the most efficient and quickest way to get your medications refilled, so please call your pharmacy first. Contacting the clinic first or contacting both the pharmacy and the clinic creates delays and duplications. If the pharmacy can send an electronic request to the clinic, then you do not need to contact the clinic, even for controlled medications. The pharmacy will let you know if you need to contact the clinic.

* There will be multiple teams answering phone and portal messages so your needs can be taken care of as quickly as possible. Non-urgent calls and all portal messages will have a response time of up to 24-72 hours. Although we try to respond to messages the same day we receive them, you might consider scheduling an appointment if you have a concern that needs to be addressed quickly by your PCP.  Please avoid multiple calls and/or portal messages as this can cause delays.

A woman in a medical setting is typing on a laptop. She is wearing a stethoscope around her neck, a work ID badge, and a smartwatch. Medical equipment can be seen in the background.

Cynthia DiLauro, MD, is an internal medicine specialist at Estes Park Health.

* Please arrive 15 minutes early for your appointments and do the My Health Connection (MHC) check-in before you arrive. This will make your check-in at the front desk much quicker and will give you maximum time with your provider. If you check in more than seven minutes late for your appointment, you will be required to reschedule. This is to give your provider the time needed to provide quality care.

* Please get the UCHealth My Health Connection (MHC) app if you haven’t already. There are many benefits to having MHC including access to your medical records and the ability to communicate with your medical team through the portal.

* Please come to your annual visit prepared to discuss only one or two concerns. If you have more than two concerns, please schedule an additional appointment. We want your provider to have time to give your concerns the attention they need so you can receive the highest quality of care.

The Physician Clinic Staff hopes you will find these changes help us provide the highest quality care in a timely manner. The clinic exists to make a positive difference in the health and well-being of all we serve. That’s our mission!