5Q: Dr. Nadine Hewamudalige |
Vice president and chief medical officer, The Providence Community Health Centers Inc.
1. What are your priorities in your new role as vice president and chief medical officer of Providence Community Health Centers? Elevating our workforce and advancing clinical excellence. In the face of prevailing primary care workforce shortages, it is crucial to adapt to the changing health care landscape and invest in our existing staff, while attracting top talent to PCHC.
2. In your seven years with PCHC, how have you noticed the health issues faced by underserved, uninsured and underinsured patients evolve? The inability to work from home or shelter in place [during the COVID-19 pandemic] resulted in persistent exposures and various inequities. The lingering consequences are evident in uncontrolled chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, compounded by inflation’s impact on the social determinants of health. Housing instability, limited access to nutritious foods and medication affordability persist as significant challenges.
3. What prompted you to take on a leadership role with PCHC? As primary care clinicians, we assume leadership roles in guiding a patient’s health care journey, developing treatment plans with strategic foresight, while maintaining the ability to pivot in response to new information. I view health care leadership through a similar lens, although on a larger scale. It represents an opportunity to influence and affect positive change, impacting the lives of a broader spectrum of patients.
4. What efforts have you taken to rebuild the clinical leadership at PCHC and how will this benefit patients? I have spearheaded the creation of several new clinical leadership positions. I am eager to continue to invest in our current clinical leaders and see all our clinicians emerge as true champions of clinical excellence, driving improvements in quality, care delivery and patient satisfaction.
5. What factors helped PCHC be in the top 10% of Federally Qualified Health Centers in the U.S. in terms of quality scores set by the Health Resources and Services Administration? We have an incredible team care model and as a patient-centered medical home, our services revolve around placing the patient at the core of care, empowering each member of the team to utilize their expertise. We keep our care teams abreast of their monthly patient quality scores and encourage consistent, evidence-based quality improvement.
