Coastal Medical begins training program

PROVIDENCE – Coastal Medical has launched a pilot medication reconciliation training program for medical assistants in partnership with the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, and the Center for Workforce Training at the Community College of Rhode Island.
The training program will enable medical assistants to learn to work with patients to competently review and update patient medications in the electronic medical record, as well as review for potential medication interactions that could be harmful.
Training sessions will be led by Sarah Thompson, manager of Coastal’s medical pharmacy program.
“Until now, there has been no medicine reconciliation training precedent set for medical assistants in primary care,” said Thompson. The comprehensive training program, she continued, “allows medical assistants a unique opportunity to positively impact patient care, as well as continue to grow in their profession.”
Each medical assistant who successfully completes the training course will receive a “stackable” (noncourse credit) certificate of completion from CCRI.
The training program reinforces Coastal’s team-based approach in its patient-centered medical home model of care delivery, according to Dr. Edward McGookin, Coastal’s chief medical officer.
“We are staking our reputation on the understanding that team-based care provides better outcomes and a better patient experience,” said McGookin. “We know that if every member of the care team is working at the top of their license it is not only better for the patient, but the entire team.”
Coastal Medical is the state’s largest physician-owned and physician-governed primary care group practice, serving 105,000 patients in 20 medical offices across Rhode Island.

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