Hahn named Most Valuable Care Coordinator by Caravan Health

Shock was the first emotion that came to mind when Cyrina Hahn, Preston Memorial Hospital Care Coordinator and Population Health Nurse, learned she had won the 2018 Caravan Health Most Valuable Care Coordinator Award. “I was surprised because I didn’t know. I didn’t even know I was nominated,” Hahn said.

The Most Valuable Care Coordinator is awarded to one individual within all the Caravan Health accountable care organizations in the United States. Hahn explained that receiving this award is an honor. “It’s hard for me to take compliments because that’s not why I do what I do. It is nice to be recognized though,” Hahn said.

Hahn will travel to Phoenix, Arizona where she will be recognized at the Caravan Health 2018 Accountable Care Symposium December 5 and 6. More than 900 people will be in attendance including hospital executives, administrators, physicians, nurses, clinicians and community leaders. Participants will gather to share their vision, strategies and experiences.

While in Phoenix, Hahn will attend workshops focusing on various topics including value based payments, health care policy, change management, care delivery, analytics and more.

Hahn has been a nurse for 17 years, and has played various roles throughout her career including working as an ER nurse, case management utilization review, etc. “I’ve done a little bit of everything,” Hahn said.

In 2016 Hahn returned to Preston Memorial Hospital to take on her current position. In her role as the PMH Care Coordinator Hahn is responsible for managing the Medicare annual wellness visits, chronic care management, transitional care management and ACO quality tasks.

Her chief tasks during management of the Medicare Quality Programs are preventative case management and assessing and addressing the need for diagnostic screenings to improve the patient’s quality of life. “It’s all of those things, making sure they’ve been checked for glaucoma, diabetes or making sure they’ve been seen by a diabetic educator,” Hahn explained. “Patients are able to decline such screenings, but it’s my job to make sure they’re at least being offered.”

Hahn explained that most patients are up to date, but some don’t realize the screenings, tests or vaccines available to them. “It’s making sure they know, and talking to them about those healthy behaviors,” Hahn commented. “That’s where chronic care management comes in.”

“It’s all about being proactive – being preventative and trying to do what’s right for the patient,” Hahn said. “If you accomplish one thing for a patient they didn’t realize they needed or haven’t been able to get then there’s this ‘AHA’ moment.”

Preston Memorial became an ACO in 2018 and is among the top organizations in the nation in its first year. “Reaching our goals in the very first year as an ACO and to be at the top – I think that’s awesome,” Hahn said. “It makes a huge difference and puts us ahead of the game.”