David Meltzer, MD, PhD, is all smiles in clinic with CCP team members (left to right) Shermeka Wilson, LPN; Nicole Gier, LCSW; and Anitra Thomas, RN. (Photo by Kathleen Ferraro/Chicago ITM)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) recognized ITM-UChicago leader David Meltzer, MD, PhD, for his work to improve the overall patient care.
Meltzer’s work, which has been supported by the ITM over the years, focuses on leveraging the relationship between doctors and their patients to deliver the best care possible. Right now, most patients are treated by many different hospitalists, or primary care doctors that only see you if you’re in the hospital. But Meltzer’s research shows that you might get better care and be healthier if you’re treated by the same primary care doctor over time. This approach became UChicago’s Comprehensive Care Program (CCP), which fosters long-lasting doctor-patient relationships to encourage better preventative care, less hospitalizations, and overall healthier lifestyles. This lightens doctors’ workloads so they can focus on specific patients and saves hospital systems money.
“I think that restructuring care produces a real increase in trust,” Meltzer said. “Not only can we improve care, but we also can engage patients in the generation of much-needed knowledge.”