By Patrick Sallee, CEO
Vibrant Health
The mission of Vibrant Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, is to provide access to respectful, empowering, culturally sensitive and appropriate high-quality healthcare for those they serve, regardless of socioeconomic obstacles.
Vibrant Health believes a person should always be part of their own healthcare team. Patients who have a direct relationship with their primary care provider and care team can make informed decisions about their care and is more likely to participate in self-care. They also become better informed about lifestyle choices that improve their health.
As a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), Vibrant Health in Kansas City, Kansas, is nationally recognized for their PCMH model of care. Vibrant Health’s patients receive guidance to better understand their health and are actively involved through self-care.
By providing patient-centered care, Vibrant Health achieves higher levels of patient satisfaction, provider satisfaction and health outcomes.
Where does the patient fit on the healthcare team?
Vibrant Health meets patients where they are by communicating in their preferred language, respecting their unique cultures and values, building trust and reducing barriers that impact a patient’s health and well-being. For patients who have difficulty advocating for themselves, Vibrant Health uses an integrated care approach. For example, they may add a behavioral health consultant to the team during a well-child or well-adult visit to uncover and assess issues that can be resolved during the visit. At other times, interventions are made to refer the patient for continued behavioral health services, specialty care or social services in response to food insecurity and housing, legal or financial assistance. They recognize that social-economic factors impact the health, well-being and quality of life of the children and adults they serve. They also partner with other qualified providers and community resources to provide “whole person” care.
Self-care is encouraged
Every patient is encouraged to get involved with their care by improving their knowledge, self-management and medication adherence. Adult patients diagnosed with hypertension are given a self-measuring blood pressure device (SMBP). They are shown how to use it and how to share the data with their doctor. The SMBP helps patients learn in real-time how food choices, exercise and medication affect their blood pressure readings. The remote SMBP data helps the provider develop better informed hypertension treatment plans than can be done by relying only on blood pressure measures taken during in-person patient visits.
Connecting with patients where they live
In response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vibrant Health delivered personal therapy kits to the homes of behavioral healthcare patients. The kits included items useful for ongoing self-care, such as personal journal and pen, Play-Doh, coloring books and pencils, aromatherapy lotion and stress relieving gadgets.
Healthcare organizations such as Vibrant Health are committed to helping families learn how to maintain the best health possible. No matter where you receive care, you should always be an active participant with your healthcare team. To learn more about Vibrant Health’s services visit: vibranthealthkc.org
“There is a critical need for organizations like ours to partner with others to ensure that vulnerable children and adults have equitable access to patient-centered care, health and human services and social justice.”
— Patrick Sallee, CEO, Vibrant Health
