By Kathy Pruitt
My new role with Corstrata has taken my life in an interesting direction! Corstrata is not an EHR company like those I built my career successes with in the past. Instead, it’s a services company, enabled by specialized technology, and far more resembling the customers that I have sold to in the past. Yet, as I explored what I could bring to Corstrata, I realized joining this fantastic, committed team feels a little like “going home”.
You see, when I think of Home care, there is a vision that I hold in my mind, as a child. As the daughter of a VNA nurse, there is a combination of memory and feeling of my mother caring for those who were less fortunate in our community. She had a “way” about her. There was compassion and skills, but mostly my mother demonstrated confidence in what she could do for her patients. It wasn’t care focused on a payer or regulation, but rather genuine good care and nursing practice.
My mother demonstrated, in her actions, what it meant to be a front-line worker. But, she was also so much more than that! A resource. A kind ear. A walking library. She was sometimes the only person in the room that wasn’t afraid to truly take a look at the ravages a disease was having on the human body. In her willingness to engage at all levels, I learned home care nurses reach out and touch the very soul of a person in distress.
These memories and feelings span many years. I spent a lot of time, including holidays, riding with my mother on visits. The word “unprecedented” is thrown around a lot, but consider a visiting nurse and taking her daughter along for the workday, as opposed to leaving her at home alone when school wasn’t in session? Of course, it was a different time and place, but the VNA empowered my mother through a culture of “community”. As I moved on to college, I no longer did my ride-alongs, but many times I would come home and hear stories of her patients. As she described their life and situation, I felt as if I was right there in the house with her.
Back to Corstrata! When a friend told me that I really needed to look at this company, I was a bit skeptical, but I inquired and began exploring. And, WOW! What the combination of technology and highly skilled nurses can achieve. We’ve all had Telehealth touch us in small ways, but Corstrata is truly entering a new frontier for serving patients.
For nurses, Corstrata offers assessments, condition review, best practice and the ultimate confidence in treating complicated wound and ostomy conditions. With very minimal effort, a highly trained, certified wound or ostomy specialist can be engaged to support the clinical team care planning and decision making.
For the patient, this is a game changer. Wounds and ostomies can be painful, functionally limiting and impact the overall quality of life. Think about it! Patients already struggling with functional limitations often have to be treated at clinics or hospitals. Yet, with a touch of a button and the click of a video or photo shot, a wound consult can be launched and nurses have the confidence to take next steps.
When you think about wounds and ostomies, think Corstrata!