Memorial Medical Center health home roster hits 1,000

The Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center health home roster has topped the 1,000 mark.

A community care management program for Medicaid members with chronic medical and behavioral conditions, Memorial's health home began operation in February 2013 under the direction of Vicki Landes, R.N., B.S.N. At the time, it was tasked with identifying 300 community members in need of its services during the first year of operation. The need was greater than anticipated, and the program's staff added the 1000^th individual to the roster this week.

How did they do it?

"Working with one patient at a time, in need of our services and care," Landes said.

She and her co-workers have no intention of stopping there.

"In the first six months of operation, we found that 72 percent of our clients had not received primary health care in the last five years. That means, for five years, those people with chronic disease were not receiving any treatment and had to face their problems all on their own. We are here to change that," Landes said.

The Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center health home serves individuals who qualify for Medicaid and have a mental health diagnosis or two chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, obesity or cardiac disease. Care coordinators link patients to needed care and social services while providing encouragement and support to clients.

More than 50 other participating care and service providers collaborate with the medical center in this countywide, state-funded initiative.

For more information about the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center health home, call 716-278-4647.