Bluestone Vista at Mankato Clinic Celebrates Five Years
Monday, April 15, 2019
Mankato Clinic primary care teams make house calls on seniors in residential living facilities
MANKATO (April 15, 2019) — In 2014, Mankato Clinic added Bluestone Vista, a program to provide primary and preventive care to seniors in their assisted living, memory care and residential facilities. Through this program, Mankato Clinic provider teams make monthly house calls to seniors in the comfort of their living facility.
The Bluestone Vista program began with three facilities in February 2014 and has grown to 27 facilities, soon to be 29 facilities, in 2019.
The team includes a geriatric doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Convenient for patients and their family, these house calls eliminate the need to travel to the clinic which can be a barrier for many seniors. On-site primary care also relieves stress for family members and caregivers.
“Preventive and primary care is essential for our seniors. By making monthly house calls, we can notice small changes in our patient’s health and prevent medical issues from becoming more serious,” said Tom Brennan, MD, primary care, Bluestone Vista at Mankato Clinic. “We are returning to how medicine used to be practiced. For our seniors and their families, these house calls are a great way to deliver care.”
Mankato Clinic provider teams work closely with care facility staff who can alert the provider team to any health problems the patient may be experiencing. The visits can be helpful in evaluating medications and addressing side effects of new medications. On-site routine and diagnostic labs and X-ray services are also available.
The Bluestone Bridge offers 24/7 online access to the care team. This easy-to-use, secure, online tool allows patients, family members and nursing staff to communicate with the care team between regular visits. In fact, the Mankato Clinic care team answers questions daily from family members who appreciate the “Bridge.”
Most major health plans, Medicare and Medicaid are accepted by Bluestone Vista at Mankato Clinic.