Meet PCPCC 2018 Advanced Primary Care Leadership Awardees
Dr. Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, will receive the prestigious Barbara Starfield Primary Care Leadership Award. During her career, she has worked tirelessly to transform healthcare delivery through technology, medical education, and community building. Dr. DeSalvo works at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas-Austin where she works in the Division of Primary Care and Value-Based Health, with professorships in both the Department of Internal Medicine and in the Department of Population Health. Prior to her position at Dell Medical School, she served in the U.S. government as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology from 2014 to 2016. She was concurrently Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2014 until 2017. Both of these governmental positions were presidential appointments.
Dr. Scharmaine Lawson, FNP, FAANP, FAAN, CEO of Advanced Clinical Consultants, will receive the Primary Care Community/Research Leadership Award for her inspiring work as a nurse practitioner in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Lawson started the first nurse practitioner-owned house call practice in Louisiana in order to improve access to primary care. To further extend the reach of her work, she has written Housecalls 101, a best-selling book, that outlines how to start a successful house call practice. In addition, Dr. Lawson created the book series and accompanying doll, Nola The Nurse®, which introduces young children to the world of advanced practice nursing.
The AppleCare Medical Group's Hospital Discharge Clinic will receive the Advanced Primary Care Practice Award, recognizing the organization's commitment to team-based care, with a focus on care transition services for post-discharge visits. Over the past year, the clinic has seen a sharp decline in hospital readmission rates due to its post-discharge services. These results are driven by dedicating a post-discharge “patient coach,” a collaborative approach to follow-up visits, and supporting continuous patient and family engagement.
