A patient walks through the sliding doors at the Kettering Health Years Ahead in Kettering—a primary care office designed for seniors 65 and older. They drove from Greenville—about an hour and a half away. Inside, Mellisa Pogirski, front desk specialist, greets them with a smile.

As the patient checks in for their appointment, it becomes clear they’re a day early. Mellisa knows how far they’ve come, so she’s determined to find a solution.

After a few moments, she returns from speaking with the clinical team. They’re adjusting schedules to see the patient today. But there will be a wait. The patient leaves to run an errand. When they return, they come bearing a yellow Knock Out rose to thank the office for their exceptional customer service.

Exceeding expectations

This isn’t the only time this office has gone the extra mile for patients. It happens consistently.

Like when Lisa Raymundo, an X-ray technician, helps patients in and out of their cars and holds an umbrella for them when it’s raining. And there’s the time when Amber McFadden, a credentialed medical assistant, saw red flags when a patient was sharing in her appointment that she’d starting dating someone she met online, and was sending him money. Amber immediately alerted the patient’s provider, Keren Ray, DO, who addressed the concern with the patient.

The staff is in tune with the unique challenges the 65+ demographic typically faces. Because of that, they regularly go beyond what some people might expect from a doctor’s office. “They deserve it,” said Carrie Brown, certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA).

They don’t consider themselves a typical primary care office, explained Aliyah Shelton, the office’s practice manager. Years Ahead is different, offering care tailored to seniors. They provide longer appointment times; evaluate multiple health concerns in one appointment; take extra steps to ensure patients understand their diagnosis and care plan; and support end-of-life needs like living wills, power of attorneys, and hospice coordination.

This Years Ahead location also has an all-in-one model, meaning patients can see their provider and get X-rays and lab work done on-site. The goal is to make their care as accessible as possible, helping to limit the amount of traveling and walking involved.

An office like a ship

A doctor’s office and its staff function a bit like a ship’s crew: each person fulfills a different role, and they work together to keep the ship sailing. The Years Ahead office in Kettering is no different.

The crew at this office has six providers, with another joining later this year, and numerous supporting staff: front office specialists, credentialed medical assistants, lab and X-ray technicians, and a care navigator. A patient may interact with anywhere from three to five team members in a visit, depending on their situation.

If we consider providers the captains of the ship, then Aliyah is its first mate. She says she often calls the front office the “front of our ship,” where patient experience begins.

At the front of the ship

“If they have a good experience in the front,” Aliyah said, “that’s going to follow to the back and throughout their visit.”

Mellisa has been a front office specialist at the Years Ahead office in Kettering for only 14 months, but she really enjoys working with their patients. “There are times in my life when I haven’t felt seen—and this demographic is unseen,” she said. “So, if I can help them feel seen, even if it’s only for 45 seconds or a couple minutes, I’ve done my job.”

She says each member of the front office team brings something different to the table—attention to detail, strong documentation, and, for Mellisa, her bright and bubbly personality. As she said, “I think you need all three.”

After checking in, a patient will be called back from the waiting room and will move deeper into the ship: the clinical area and their exam room.

The engineers

Carrie walks the patient into the exam room, takes their vitals, and discusses what they’ve come in for. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) also serve in this capacity.

“We try to make them feel comfortable so that they open up to us and, in turn, we can take the best possible care of them,” Carrie said.

Medical assistants also do a lot of behind-the-scenes work, like coordinating referrals to specialists and calling patients to explain their results, since many don’t use MyChart.

“Our phone call volume is higher here because many of our patients aren’t tech-savvy,” said Autumn Hildebrand, clinical services supervisor. As something of the second mate, Autumn ensures everything runs smoothly in the clinical area and that all patients’ needs are met.

The captains

David de la Peña, DO, is one of the providers, or captains, in the office. He said the most important thing the office does well is communicate. “Whether it’s the office managers, LPNs, or radiology technicians, we communicate and work together to meet the patient’s needs,” Dr. de la Peña said. “And that’s really helpful in making decisions quickly.”

He and the other providers are known to go the extra mile and collaborate with staff to meet patients where they are.

For instance, Dr. de la Peña and Autumn worked together to help a patient diagnosed with COVID-19. As the patient’s treatment window dwindled, the two worked quickly to order medication. But when they learned the patient couldn’t afford it, Autumn searched for a medication the patient’s insurance would cover. And she contacted a pharmacy to quickly fill the prescription.

Impressed with Autumn’s actions, Dr. de la Peña nominated her for Employee of the Month, sharing in her nomination that “From being our clinical supervisor, rooming, calling patients, and fielding all the asks from myself and my partners—Autumn really does it all. We are very fortunate to have someone with her dedication and work ethic caring for our patients alongside us. Autumn constantly makes sure our patients’ needs are met in every situation.”

Autumn, Aliyah, and Mellisa agree the providers’ engagement with patients and how everyone communicates is key to the office’s success.

“That makes our jobs easier,” Mellisa said. “That cross-coverage is huge.”

Together, the team at the Years Ahead office in Kettering does everything they can to keep the ship moving forward and passengers safe and healthy—even when they’re 103, like the office’s oldest patient.