Chronic Care Model:  Based on the Chronic Care Model, clinician teams at CareSouth Carolina incorporate the community, the health system, self management support, delivery system, decision support and clinical information systems into the delivery of health care.   

Patient Focus:  When informed patients take an active role in managing their health and providers feel prepared and supported with time and resources, their interaction is more productive.   That means better diabetes, depression, asthma, cardiovascular and other chronic condition health outcomes for patients.  Patients at CareSouth Carolina achieve comprehensive care that, through its implementation of care management, surpasses state and national quality benchmarks.

Self Management:  Self management support is an innovative leap forward from just providing patient education.  Individualized health plans, and self management goals, are designed by the patient with assistance from the medical team.  The patient takes the leading role and accepts responsibility for achieving those goals. The educational support needed to meet those goals is achieved as the relationship between clinicians and patients develop.  A Care Manager that works directly with the patient’s physician and nursing staff is always available to assist patients with goals and support.  Patients are not just told what to do, they receive training in proven methods of prevention and minimizing complications.  For example, patients with diabetes know their hemoglobin A1C and where they want it to be - they work, with assistance from the medical team, to achieve that goal.

Planned Care:  Planned and Group Visits are in integral part of CareSouth Carolina’s Care Management protocols.  Instead of waiting until something goes wrong, patients with chronic conditions at CareSouth Carolina have regular planned visits that help them stay in control of their condition.  Plus, group visits provide the opportunity for patients to receive services in a support environment that also motivates them to achieve better health outcomes.  With the help of the Care Manager and a sophisticated patient information system, CareSouth Carolina staff track, monitor and follow-up on the health goals and outcomes of patients who are receiving care.  Planned Care allows for more assistance and time for clinicians to work with individual patients on their customized treatment plan and any problems that arise along the way.  

Comprehensive Support:  Lifestyle, environment and other factors either help or detrimentally impact an individual’s ability to live a healthy life. CareSouth Carolina understands that patients are only in the medical office for a short time, and they often need support systems in the community where they live to achieve their health goals.  Community resources are continually pooled, and CareSouth Carolina provides assistance navigating the system to obtain transportation, needed pharmaceuticals, housing and other needs that directly affect the patient’s ability to achieve better health.