I N P R AC T I CE
(Pictured above) The DRMC Integrated Sports Medicine and Spine Team including (back row) Greg Carpenter, PA-C; Jon Carlson, DC, CCSP; Dr. Martin Gillespie, MD (orthopedic surgeon); and Kristine Foltz, MS, LAT, ATC; (front row) Alyssa Hannah, PA-C/LAT/ATC, and Peggy Fillinger, MS/LAT/ATC. Not pictured Dr. Spring McCann, MD (Interventional Spine Care and Pain Management). From within the Penn Highlands Healthcare system, which includes five western Pennsylvania area hospitals, Dr. Carlson works with sports medicine, orthopedic surgeons, spinal surgeons and pain management providers. And here, no typical day exists. From treating back-pain referrals from the ER to routing patients for surgical consults when necessary, Dr. Carlson’s focus is the patient—helping them navigate the modern health system. By utilizing the integrated or team approach to patient care, patients are provided with heath options that would
typically not exist in a stand-alone system, he said. “I’ve learned that if you’re going to work within the integrated health system, you need to have a good working relationship with all the players,” he said. “My education and professional experiences gave me the competitive edge I needed to meet my professional goals and, most importantly, patients’ health needs.” Patients deserve a game plan, he said, and surrounding them with a collaborative health care team is patient-centered care in practice.
“Working with other health providers ensures patients access the right care at the right time,” he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind, working as a team improves patient outcomes.” Dr. Carlson entered a three-year contract with Penn Highlands Healthcare. If all goes as planned, he hopes to hire additional sports chiropractors and open satellite clinics within the system’s four partner hospitals.
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