CD here. The past two months working at Morristown have been a great experience for me. The clinic is called the 5th Street Clinic and is part of Cherokee Health Systems. One of my professional goals for the next year is to observe the operation of different practice models. Cherokee's model is an integrated approach - mainly integrating medical and psychosocial issues in healthcare. There is also a focus on serving impoverished people. Most of the clientèle at 5th Street have no health insurance or TennCare or are on Disability.
The advantage of integrated care is the team approach. One or two people (a doctor and nurse) do not have to manage all the aspects in the health care of some of these very complicated patients. There is a Behaviorist that I can consult down the hall at a moments notice. Or a psychiatrist. Or a case worker. At 5th Street we have weekly "team meetings." All the disciplines in this model are represented and we go over complicated cases to insure coordination of care.
I have really loved the environment here. My colleagues and staff have been very friendly and I get the sense that people really enjoy working here - it's more than "just a job/paycheck." So, have I made my point that Cherokee has impressed me?
Another professional goal is to become fluent in Spanish. 5th Street gets a large Mexican population, many who work picking tomatoes. Practicing the Spanish I have been learning has been one of my favorite things about working here.
One of the only drawbacks about working in Morristown is the nearly 50 mile commute. My consolation (other than having a nice job) is getting to listen to several audiobooks. Perhaps I'll start a blog one day that reviews audiobooks...
Anyways, to all my 5th Street friends: Hasta luego! I hope our paths cross again one day.
