Continuity of Care
Skilled Nursing Facility ProgramThe skilled nursing facility program will support members needing skilled or custodial nursing care to achieve their goals for health and well-being. Home HealthHome health services for skilled intermittent care that is medically necessary and requires a physician's order for care. The care includes registered nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social worker and Home health aide services in the home. Patient must be home-bound which means it takes considerable and taxing effort to leave the home. This care is for a defined amount of time and includes participation with the patient, family and caregivers to provide care. Hospice services are provided via contract to agencies outside the Kaiser system and are initiated by the patient's personal physician or oncologist. Home health does not cover custodial private care for patients. Ambulance TransportationAddress: 4131 Geary Blvd, 3rd floor, San Francisco 94118
The Ambulance hub is responsible for ordering BLS, ALS, and CCT level transports for Kaiser patients. These requests are made through our nationally contracted vendor American Medical Response (AMR). All requests must be authorized by a TPMG physician. Durable Medical Equipment (DME)4131 Geary Blvd, 3rd floor, San Francisco 94118
The DME department is responsible for authorizing the provision of Medical Equipment for home use. DME uses a various contracted vendors to make deliveries of equipment, including Apria Healthcare, National Seating and Mobility, Shields healthcare, and various other vendors. All requests for equipment must start with a DME-specific prescription from a TPMG physician. Telephone requests are only allowed for re-supplies of previously prescribed equipment. |
Palliative Care Palliative Care Group: (left to right) Dr. Thomas Crane, Dr. Margaret Marquez, Lynette Whitman, RN, Gina Osbeck, LCSW, Paul Clagett, RN, and Dale Webb, M. Div. When someone is facing a serious, chronic, life-limiting illness there are many difficult decisions that need to be decided and discussed with loved ones as well as care providers. The Palliative Care team can help with these tough choices. The Palliative Care team consists of a physician, a social worker, a registered nurse, and a chaplain, each of whom brings a variety of skills and experiences to the discussions. The team has been in operation since July, 2007. Currently we provide inpatient services to assist hospital physicians, members and their families with decisions around care options as well as end-of-life issues. Future efforts will include outpatient care for members living with chronic diseases at home as well as those in skilled nursing facilities. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for patients living with serious, advanced illness by aligning treatment choices with personal values. This requires advanced care planning that takes each patient's needs, desires and goals into consideration. Based upon each patient’s goals, the team assesses and discusses options for symptom management, psychological and spiritual support, end-of-life planning and outpatient care. Palliative Care is not equivalent to end-of-life care. Unlike hospice, which is designed to provide excellent care for the dying, palliative care focuses on delivering high quality care to the living. Decreased anxiety, improved pain control, an increased sense of hope and an increased completion of advance directives are reported by palliative care recipients. Patients and family members that have participated in a Palliative Care consultation have also expressed feelings of relief and gratefulness that their choices and wishes were respected and supported. By having the luxury of time and the different perspectives of the team members, Palliative Care is able to extend a deeper level of care, compassion, and respect for each patient's individualism and situation. To contact the Kaiser Santa Rosa Palliative Care team, please call us at (707) 393-4339. Read more about raising awareness about Palliative Care. |
Outside Services Claims/ReferralsAddress: 4131 Geary Blvd., San Francisco
We case manage the Kaiser patients admitted at non-plan facilities. We will coordinate the care with the facility and arrange transfer to Kaiser when medically stable. We will also, assist in obtaining durable medical equipment and follow up appointments upon discharge from the facility. Please use the 800 number on your Kaiser card to notify us when you are at a non-plan facility anywhere in the world. | |