Unbeknownst to Peter, the admission coordinator prepares information to bill
Peter's insurance, while the discharge planner coordinates Peter's discharge
to ensure that he has the care he needs at home after the surgery.
Back in the emergency department,
Derek hobbles in after taking a bad fall on the court.
During his fall he had broken his glasses, so he'll need to go see his optometrist or
an ophthalmologist to get a new pair of glasses.
But for now, a certified nursing assistant leads him to a triage area.
Where he gets his vitals recorded and waits to see an orthopedic specialist,
who comes in to look at his ankle and orders x-rays.
A radiology tech scans Derek's ankle to confirm the ankle fracture.
A cast is put on by an orthopedic technician.
And he is given painkillers prepared by the pharmacy technician and
signed off by a pharmacist.
Derek speaks with the patients service representative
at the front desk who verifies his insurance, collects his copay, and
helps him schedule an appointment with the physical therapist and
an occupational therapist to help him regain his tip top basketball form.
Turns out that Derek's sister, Rosa, works at the hospital as a medical interpreter.
She's with Camilla, a recently diagnosed breast cancer patient.
And Camilla's oncologist and case manager, who are putting together a personalized
treatment plan where she will see amongst others, a radiation therapist who
delivers and monitors radiation therapy, a dietician or nutritionist who provides
information about nutrition to patients that can help them improve their health.
A home health aid who provides care for people in
the setting of their homes to reduce visits to the clinic or the hospital.
A plastic surgeon who repairs, reconstructs, or
replaces physical defects of form or function, a palliative care
specialist who focuses on relieving a patient's pain, improving functioning,
enhancing decision making and promoting optimal quality of life.
A social worker who assesses the psychosocial functioning of patients and
families, and provides supportive counseling and resource connections.
And a patient navigator or community health worker
who provides culturally sensitive support and guidance throughout cancer care.
Hopefully, this treatment plan works.
If not, Camilla may be enrolled in clinical trials led by
medical scientists or researchers who are developing new treatments and
gaining new knowledge to improve health.
Some of the research takes place in biotech company laboratories where
scientists who are biochemists, biophysicists, biomedical engineers, and
microbiologists study biological processes, organisms, cells, and DNA.
To develop technologies that can improve diagnosis, treatment, and
understanding of diseases.
These scientists work with bioinformatics specialists, who use computer science and
statistics to design databases, and develop algorithms.
For example, to sequence genes and analyze and model big data.
Scientists also rely on the technicians, technologists, research assistants,
and lab managers that carry out the experiments and clinical trials.
Some of the research takes place in the community where public health scientists,
environmental health practitioners and epidemiologists investigate patterns and
causes of health and disease to arrive at potential solutions.
Their findings alongside the department of health,
political work of health policy advocates, grassroots work of community organizers,
and regulatory and legislative work of government health department officials
contribute to healthy, thriving communities.