Hospital medical care and referral system with clinics at off-site locations

• US 20060143997A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Hospital Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Hospital Corporation
• Inventors: Libenson, David D.
• Application Number:
  US11/025,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/234
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/08 Hospitals, infirmaries, or the like; Schools; Prisons

Abstract

A hospital system and method for providing medical care and patient referral in which a clinic is located off-site from a hospital at a facility which is open to the public for non-medical activity. The clinic is affiliated with the hospital such that the clinic provides medical care of a type and quality required by the hospital and is obligated to refer patients to said hospital. Patrons at the facility can seek and receive medical care at the clinic and can be referred by the clinic to the hospital.

Claims

1. A hospital system for providing medical care and patient referral, comprising:

a clinic located at a facility that is off-site from a hospital, said facility being open to the public for non-medical activity; and

said clinic being affiliated with said hospital such that said clinic provides medical care of a type and quality required by said hospital and is obligated to refer patients to said hospital;

whereby patrons at said facility can seek and receive medical care at said clinic and can be referred by said clinic to said hospital.

2. The hospital system according to claim 1, wherein said facility is adapted to support pedestrian traffic for said non-medical activity and said clinic is accessible to said pedestrian traffic.

3. The hospital system according to claim 2, wherein said clinic is accessible from one or more of inside said facility and outside said facility.

4. The hospital system according to claim 3, wherein said facility has a parking area.

5. The hospital system according to claim 3, wherein said facility includes an entrance, an exit and one or more pedestrian flow paths between said entrance and exit, and said clinic is situated in said facility along a pedestrian flow path.

6. The hospital system according to claim 5, wherein said clinic is situated in said facility to be viewable from one or more of said entrance and said exit.

7. The hospital system according to claim 6, wherein said facility includes a checkout area and said clinic is situated in said facility to be viewable from said checkout area.

8. The hospital system according to claim 7, wherein one or more of said entrance and exit are viewable from said checkout area.

9. The hospital system according to claim 8, wherein said entrance, exit and checkout area are disposed in adjacent regions of said facility.

10. The hospital system according to claim 8, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

11. The hospital system according to claim 10, wherein said affiliation of said clinic with said hospital includes one or more of:

the staff of said clinic includes at least one licensed physician who is on the staff and employed by said hospital;

all of the staff of said clinic are employed by said hospital;

the clinic and hospital have access to each other for communication of information;

the clinic has attributes indicative of the affiliation with said hospital.

12. The hospital system according to claim 11, wherein said attributes include one or more of features of the motif of said hospital, logos of said hospital and signage indicative of said hospital.

13. The hospital system according to claim 10, wherein the staff of said clinic includes at leased one licensed physician.

14. The hospital system according to claim 1, wherein the staff of said clinic includes at least one licensed physician.

15. The hospital system according to claim 14, wherein said affiliation of said clinic with said hospital includes one or more of:

the staff of said clinic includes at least one licensed physician who is on the staff and employed by said hospital;

all of the staff of said clinic are employed by said hospital;

the clinic and hospital have access to each other for communication of information;

the clinic has attributes indicative of the affiliation with said hospital.

16. The hospital system according to claim 15, wherein said attributes include one or more of features of the motif of said hospital, logos of said hospital and signage indicative of said hospital.

17. The hospital system according to claim 15, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

18. The hospital system according to claim 1, wherein said clinic is located within said facility.

19. The hospital system according to claim 1 wherein said facility offers services to said public.

20. The hospital system according to claim 1, further comprising:

one or more further clinics each disposed at a different further facility off-site from said hospital, each said further facility being open to the public;

each said further clinic being affiliated with said hospital such that said further clinic provides medical care of a type and quality required by said hospital and is obligated to refer patients to said hospital;

whereby patrons at each said further facility can seek and receive medical care at said further clinic at said further facility and can be referred by said further clinic to said hospital.

21. The hospital system according to claim 20, wherein:

the staff of said clinic includes at least one a licensed physician and the staff of each said further clinics includes at least one licensed physician.

22. The hospital system according to claim 21, wherein said affiliation of said clinic and each said further clinic with said hospital includes one or more of:

the staff of said clinic and each further clinic includes at least one licensed physician who is on the staff and employed by said hospital;

all of the staff of said clinic and further clinic are employed by said hospital;

the clinic and further clinics and hospital have access to each other for communication of information;

the clinic and further clinics each has attributes indicative of the affiliation with said hospital.

23. The hospital system according to claim 22, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

24. The hospital system according to claim 20, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

25. The hospital system according to claim 1, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

26. The hospital system according to claim 25, wherein the staff of said clinic includes at least one licensed physician.

27. The hospital system according to claim 1, wherein said affiliation of said clinic with said hospital includes one or more of:

the staff of said clinic includes at least one licensed physician who is on the staff and employed by said hospital;

all of the staff of said clinic are employed by said hospital;

the clinic and hospital have access to each other for communication of information;

the clinic has attributes indicative of the affiliation with said hospital.

28. The system in accordance with claim 27, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

29. The system according to claim 1 wherein said clinic includes one or more of;

at least one examination room;

a waiting area adjacent to one of said at least one examination room;

a bathroom;

a blood drawing room; and

a room for taking X-rays.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein said waiting area provides visual and audible privacy.

31. The system of according to claim 29, wherein said clinic is at least 300 square feet in size.

32. The system according to claim 1, wherein said medical care provided at said clinic includes at least one of:

vaccinations;

minor medical procedures;

collection of laboratory samples for further analysis;

screening for diseases;

providing well baby programs;

prenatal care;

medical education; and

medical counseling.

33. The hospital system according to claim 32, wherein further analysis of said laboratory samples is performed at said hospital.

34. The hospital system according to claim 1, wherein said clinic is staffed by at least one licensed physician and by at least one assistant to said physician.

35. The hospital system according to claim 34, wherein said at least one assistant is either a lab technician or a nurse practitioner.

36. The hospital system according to claim 20, further comprising one or more of:

said facility, said hospital and each said further facility.

37. A method for providing medical care and patient referral, comprising:

locating a clinic at a facility that is off-site from a hospital, said facility being open to the public for non-medical activity; and

affiliating said clinic with said hospital such that said clinic provides medical care of a type and quality required by said hospital and is obligated to refer patients to said hospital;

whereby patrons at said facility can seek and receive medical care at said clinic and can be referred by said clinic to said hospital.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising staffing said facility with at least one licensed physician.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said step of affiliating said clinic with said hospital comprises:

staffing said clinic with at least one licensed physician who is on the staff and employed by said hospital;

staffing said clinic with all employees of said hospital;

enabling the clinic and hospital to have access to each other for communication of information;

providing the clinic with attributes indicative of the affiliation with said hospital.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said attributes include one or more of the features of the motif of said hospital, logos of said hospital and signage indicative of said hospital.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein said clinic is located within said facility.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of affiliating said clinic with said hospital comprises:

staffing said clinic with at least one licensed physician who is on the staff and employed by said hospital;

staffing said clinic with all employees of said hospital;

enabling the clinic and hospital to have access to each other for communication of information;

providing the clinic with attributes indicative of the affiliation with said hospital.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said attributes include one or more of the features of the motif of said hospital, logos of said hospital and signage indicative of said hospital.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

46. The method of claim 37, wherein, said facility is one of a grocery store, a supermarket which sells food and household items, and a warehouse-club store or mega supermarket which sells food, household items and other products.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising staffing said facility with at least one licensed physician.