CCM Nurse Turns Confusion Into Clarity and Helps a Patient Get Her Mammogram

In healthcare, some of the most special moments occur outside of the appointment rooms. These are moments when a brief conversation makes a patient feel encouraged, understood, and supported in facing something they couldn't manage alone.

One such moment occurred this month, and it was thanks to our CCM Team!

CCM Nurse Laura was performing a routine follow-up when she noticed that her client was frustrated. Laura's patient had been trying to schedule a yearly mammogram for a while, but she was struggling with it and receiving no feedback.

Laura leaned in.

She listened to the patient's description and the order issues very carefully, with an insider knowledge of what many patients struggle with.

Nurse Laura took this concern to the imaging center to see if she could offer any assistance with the delays on their end and discovered that the referral was not received as an order for a diagnostic mammogram, but rather a plex order, explaining the weeks of delays.

Laura acted on this information within minutes.

She called the provider’s office, described the issue, and discussed what was required to free up the KO. Immediately after, she sent a fax to the office of the provider and the hospital the patient was at, advising the patient and the provider to contact her office to acquire the order without any further delays.

A few minutes of work on her part made a profound impact.

On the following month's outreach call, the patient's voice was cheerful as she told Nurse Laura she'd had her mammogram done the week before.

The confusion and stress of the previous month were gone, replaced by relief and gratitude.

This is an example of good patient management in chronic care.

An outreach call once a month isn't just a box for CCM nurses to tick - it's an avenue for support, clarity, and ongoing connection. Most importantly, it's a chance to intervene on a patient's behalf when the healthcare system is overwhelming.

A phone call from a CCM Nurse once again turned a stressful situation into a success.