You and your loved ones’ health care needs can feel like a lot to manage. Between preventive medicine and routine check-ups, caring for unexpected illnesses and injuries, and specialized or long-term care for chronic illnesses, it can feel like your health care is in a constant state of change.
“Making health care decisions can be challenging for patients. Trying to figure out which path is the best often seems overwhelming,” said Viren Bavishi, DO, president of CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group. “We try to help patients navigate the system, so they understand where and how to get the care they need.”
CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group works to serve families in Central and Eastern Kentucky, offering comprehensive, compassionate care at easy-to-access locations. In addition, CHI and Dignity Health recently merged to create CommonSpirit Health, allowing facilities to share practices and providers and giving facilities access to advanced technology and innovation while still living out our faith-based mission.
As CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group is part of the national CommonSpirit Health system in 21 states, we also have a wealth of resources nationally — and we are the only medical group in the area to have these connections.
“We begin every day with the belief that we are called to serve our community,” said Carmel Jones, MBA, CPA, CMPE, chief operating officer at CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group. “We approach every decision with a desire to honor the calling, especially given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and communities need us now more than ever.”
Our network includes a diverse group of family, internal medicine, primary care and specialty providers to ensure our patients’ health care needs are met. Holistic care for the patient as a person, not an illness, is crucial to that care. For that reason, physicians with CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group act as leaders on every level, joining together to find solutions when challenges arise.
“Within our organization, physicians from different specialties work together to provide patients with unique insights and comprehensive solutions,” Dr. Bavishi explained. “Having multiple points of perspective leads to better care for the patients.”
While this camaraderie between providers is an important part of our care, perhaps even more important is the value of compassion for the patients.
“Health care is ultimately about meeting the needs of patients,” Dr. Bavishi said. “It’s why many of us are in this field: We want to care for people. When you focus on patients as individuals, understanding what their needs are, you are able to take care of them in ways that don’t just improve their physical health but also their life and overall well-being.”
In the wide-open spaces of Kentucky, services you need may often be far from home. This is why we are dedicated to serving patients in a variety of locations through different clinics and local care programs. Most of our physicians also make a point to offer some form of outreach so patients don’t have the hassle of traveling long distances for their care.
“Some members of our community would have to go without care or treatment if we could not meet them where they are,” Jones said. “We want to prevent that from happening whenever possible.”
In March, providers with the Medical Group found new ways to connect with patients and manage their care, using new technology and telehealth services. The change came out of necessity due to COVID-19, but we expect this type of care to prove particularly beneficial to patients who live farther away.
“I think of it this way: We want our health system as big as it can be but as small as it can feel,” Jones said. “We want to serve as many patients as possible while maintaining a personal connection with each individual.”
“CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group is part of a legacy that is known for providing great care to the surrounding community,” Dr. Bavishi added. “We are working hard to carry on that tradition and continue to provide for our patients for generations to come.”
To schedule an appointment with a CHI Saint Joseph Health provider, call 859.313.2255.
A version of this article originally appeared in the Spring 2020 edition of Spirit of Health. For more stories like this one, subscribe to Spirit of Health magazine today.
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