State of the Practice Q & A with Dr. Aversa

At Sound Family Medicine, we value the relationships we have established with our patients, and we believe it is important for them to stay informed about news involving their care. We recently sat down with the Medical Director, Dr. Marc Aversa, to discuss what the practice has been doing in the past year, and where it is headed in the next. Consider it our own sort of "State of the Practice" address.

You became the Medical Director a little over a year ago. How did you prepare for that role?
In the two years prior to becoming the Medical Director, SFM sent me to UW to receive a masters in training in healthcare administration. Often times, there are certain areas of the medical practice where doctors and managers have very different views and thought-processes. Learning about the art of management has helped me to realize points where we can improve on the traditional doctor-patient relationship. Since I still care for patients, I also recognize which ideas are and are not practical in a healthcare setting.

What have you been most proud of accomplishing so far during your time as the Medical Director?
We have excellent providers who partner well with patients to solve problems and to ensure that patients are receiving the care they need. As Medical Director, I have worked with our administrative team to develop a system for informing patients about the preventive care they need. This system helps our patients maintain a consistent healthcare routine.

What enabled so many of SFM's doctors to become recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for diabetes management?
The NCQA standards are very rigorous, and we could not have been so consistent in providing high-quality care without each of our departments working together as a team. We build a partnership with our patients to monitor their blood sugar, manage their cholesterol, and establish heart-healthy habits such as blood pressure control, smoking cessation, and eye and foot checks.

SFM has been a real pioneer in the use of electronic medical records. How does this help you care for patients?
I cannot imagine being able to provide our high quality of care by using paper charts. With our electronic records system, our providers are able to look at the big picture, especially when it comes to our patients that are managing chronic illnesses. For example, I am able to view multiple test results at once, without thumbing through a stack of paper records.
It is interesting to think about how electronic medical records will change the way we care for patients in the future. I expect, in the near future, we'll have much better communication between different healthcare providers, which will result in better coordination of care. In addition, I expect we'll see patients interacting more frequently and more in-depth with their medical records.

How have mySFM's online services helped improve communication between you and your patients?
mySFM has been a valuable tool for our practice as a whole. The most valuable tool is our messaging function. This gives us the ability to answer our patients' simple questions without them having to wait on the phone. Before we launched that service, our hold times on the phone were discouraging both our patients and staff. Also, our ability to provide test results to patients in a timely manner online means that patients don't have to wait to receive them in the mail.

Why is SFM moving to a new location in Bonney Lake next year?
Our practice has outgrown our current space in Bonney Lake. The new space is being designed to improve the communication between staff so that we can partner in delivering complete care. We'll have space for quite a few more staff members, which means care will be more available to the fast-growing Bonney Lake community. In addition, we will be expanding the hours for our Bonney Lake Same-Day Clinic, making Saturday visits available. There will also be numerous specialty providers in the new building, creating a one-stop-shop for healthcare needs.

We hear a great deal about the primary physician shortage, yet SFM keeps finding excellent physicians to join the practice. How do you do it?
SFM is a fun place to work. When prospective doctors visit us, they see us smiling and enjoying spending time with each other. I think this is because we are physician-owned and we know that all we need to worry about it taking good care of our patients. Our doctors enjoy a good balance between having a say in how we run our practice and letting the administration team do what they do best. Prospective physicians immediately see that they can have a bright future here.

On behalf of the physicians and staff at Sound Family Medicine, we would like to thank you for allowing us to care for you and your family in 2010, and we look forward to continuing that care in 2011.