Former Hoag President and CEO Dr. Rick Afable and his wife, Sally, make a gift to support Hoag's efforts to provide care coordination and advocacy for patients
When Rick Afable, M.D., learned about Hoag's Care Coordinator and Patient Advocacy Program during a Hoag Promise Campaign Steering Committee meeting, he couldn't wait to tell his wife, Sally, about it. A physician, experienced health care administrator and former president and CEO of Hoag, Dr. Afable understands the complexities and challenges patients often face in navigating the medical system better than most. "The notion of care coordination and advocacy was and is sorely missing in health care," says Dr. Afable. "For a community organization like Hoag to take the step of providing this, knowing that insurance doesn't pay for it and knowing that it's needed but not expected, really resonated with me."
Sally, who has spent much of her life working with the elderly, readily agreed. "I would listen to their frustrations and their families' frustrations in coordinating all of their health care needs. Individuals can be so fragile when they are ill and trying to care for themselves and the ones they love. It's easy for them to get swallowed up by the system."
The Afables were so inspired by Hoag's efforts to do more for patients that they decided to make a generous estate gift in support of the Care Coordinator and Patient Advocacy Program.
Easing the Patient's Burden
With the opening of Hoag Health Center Irvine – Sand Canyon in 2016, Hoag piloted the Care Coordinator and Patient Advocacy Program. The intention was to dramatically improve the patient experience by providing coordination, navigation and advocacy services. Hoag's care coordinators schedule and coordinate appointments, act as an advocate and personal liaison for patients, assist with insurance authorizations, provide care itineraries, help remove barriers to care, educate patients about the insurance process and community resources and make navigating the health care system more manageable.
The pilot was so successful, it has grown into four full-time care coordinator positions, which have assisted over 7,000 patients to date at Hoag Health Center Irvine, Hoag Health Center Tustin Legacy and Hoag Health Center Foothill Ranch. The Afables look forward to seeing even more patients benefit. Hoag's vision is to implement 10 care coordinators throughout Hoag's network of health care centers.
"We think every person who is seeking care deserves coordination and advocacy. We know that having a handful of individuals at Hoag dedicated to providing this is a good start, and our hope is that this is the beginning of something very significant," Dr. Afable says. "That will require others who are as passionate as we are to get involved and lend their support."
For the Care of Others
The Afable's passion for the program stems from a deep-rooted commitment to serving and caring for others. It has been the driving force behind everything they do. As president and CEO of Hoag from 2005-2013, Dr. Afable helped shape Hoag into the world-class organization it is today: one that serves the community by providing care that is second to none. Today, he leads Be Well OC, a public/private partnership designed to vastly improve the health and well-being of those suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues in Orange County. Sally volunteers her time to teach Bible studies and help women through drug and alcohol recovery.
