Mechanical designer Chuck Favano has had diabetes for 15-16 years. About six months after starting a position with his current employer, he had to have a procedure. Following the surgery, his blood sugar spiked, and he gained 100 pounds in three months.
“People with diabetes have a lot to manage,” Greg Johnson, DO, Regional Market President, Parkview Health said. Depending on their condition, they might have to see a primary care provider, cardiologist, endocrinologist, podiatrist, nephrologist, and potentially more specialists, on a regular basis. “Half the challenge is access and navigating the health system,” Dr. Johnson said.
Chuck agreed. “I’m good at multitasking, but I get tired,” he said. Thankfully, the Parkview Signature Care provided by his employer had a resource. “Parkview set me up with a care coordinator.”
Nurse Stephanie
Stephanie Gehring, RN, BSN, care coordinator, met Chuck when his health wasn’t in the best place. “Chuck was going through a lot of things with his diabetes,” she recalled. “He had all this stuff to get figured out and wasn’t sure where to begin.”
As Stephanie described it, the role of the care coordinator is to meet the patient where they are, help them understand the medical system and then get them to the right places. “Think of a care coordinator as someone who’s going to come alongside you,” Dr. Johnson said. “Someone who understands what you’re going through and helps navigate and execute the care plan.”
Chuck regains control
“Nurse Stephanie called every week, and we became friends,” Chuck shared.
Stephanie started to look forward to her work with Chuck quite a bit. “He was always able to make me laugh,” she said. But, as Chuck’s health improved, she was able to pull back on their communication. Until eventually, Chuck didn’t need a care coordinator anymore.
The two recently reconnected and Stephanie shared how touching it was that he still had her in his phone as “Nurse Stephanie.”
The results have given Chuck a new lease on life. “I will always be a diabetic, but now it’s controlled,” he said. “Before I met Stephanie, my A1C was in the high 9s/low 10s. I looked the other day, and it was 6.8. My sugar’s under control. I don’t have to go the doctor as often.”
The results are thrilling for those like Dr. Johnson, who are involved in developing these resources for employers to offer their co-workers. “The most exciting thing is seeing the results coming in from a lot of these innovations,” he said. “When I can see numbers go from 20% of diabetes controlled at an employer to 70-80%, as a clinician, that melts my heart.” Of course, there’s other reasons to feel encouraged. “An added benefit is that it's about $2,000 less per year to take care of patients who have controlled diabetes vs. those with uncontrolled diabetes. This is a great byproduct. But really, it’s about delivering a higher quality care to a community or set of employees. Clinically, the person is so much better which leads to a more happy, productive life.”
This has certainly been true for Chuck, who recently took up airbrushing as a new art medium. “I’m constantly busy,” he said. “I come home from work at 2 and work in my studio until 5 or 6.” When he reflects on his health journey, there’s one person who stands out above the rest. “I remember faces better than names,” he said, “except for Nurse Stephanie. I can never forget her because she was always there for me. The Holy Lord must have put me with her and the great doctors at Parkview, because they saved my life.”
For Stephanie, the reward is in the result. “He’s the one doing the work. I just helped guide him in the right direction,” she said. “Knowing that you helped somebody, and you extended their life, and knowing they’re grateful for what you’ve done, that’s enough to fill your bucket and keep you going.”
A new way to offer care
Give your employees access to our Shared Employer Clinics.
At Parkview Employer Solutions, we’re dedicated to reducing the cost of healthcare for employers while also improving the health of your workforce. With our Shared Employer Clinics, your employees get access to high-quality healthcare at no cost to them — and you get reduced claims on your health plan. Your organization simply pays a flat, monthly rate to get access to our clinics, which are designed to make healthcare more efficient and convenient. Our care teams specialize in employer medicine and take a lifestyle approach to care that focuses on prevention. It’s a simple way to reduce cost variability while creating healthier employees.
To learn more, visit Parkview.com/EmployerClinics or contact us at ParkviewEmployerSolutions@parkview.com or 260-373-9017.
