Who We Are
Group Practice Concept
The underlying and implicit goals of the UCLA Les Kelley Family Health Center and our Mid Valley Comprehensive Health Center are exemplary, continuing comprehensive care of our patients and the highest caliber of education for our residents.
A number of mechanisms to achieve these two major goals have been established. During the first rotation, time is set aside to acquaint the new resident with how the UCLA Family Health Center functions. Various staff professionals explain their roles in detail and give the resident an opportunity to see their functions first hand. Reference material and procedures are also provided and should be referred to throughout the year. The concept of a group practice is further strengthened by reliance on the following important components of the residency:
-
Family Health Center Teams
From the start, each first year resident is a member of a family health center team. As a member of that team, they will start with and develop a panel of continuity patients of all ages and socioeconomic background. The rich experience's in pediatrics, women's health, chronic disease management, urgent care and procedural medicine at our family health centers will prepare each UCLA resident for any outpatient setting of their choosing upon graduation.
-
The Health Care Team
The philosophy of the Department of Family Medicine is that physicians and other health professionals all contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the total care of the patient. The residency program seeks to provide residents with the skills necessary for working with such a team. Psychiatrists, nutritionists and nurse practitioners make up this team in the Les Kelley and Mid Valley Family Health Center. Clinical social workers and psychologists are also available.
-
Family Health Center Patient Coverage
Coverage for Family Health Center patients after hours is provided by family medicine residents on the inpatient service. The residents on the Family Medicine inpatient service take call for all Les Kelley Family Medicine patients for four to five months on service. These residents share equally the responsibility for being available to see any patient in the emergency room or the hospital. All Les Kelley Family Health Center patients who come to the Santa Monica-UCLA Emergency Medicine Center are to be seen initially by the Family Medicine inpatient resident on call. Faculty back-up is available twenty-four (24) hours a day.
-
Personal Practice
Patients in the Family Health Center have come to expect a close, trusting and personal relationship with their resident-physician; indeed, residents are encouraged to deliver care on the private practice model. This does not, however, mean the resident should attempt to take 24-hour responsibility for his/her patients, as the purpose of a group practice is to share this responsibility and improve communication so that this may be done with a maximum of efficiency.
Behavioral Science Curriculum Overview
The behavioral science curriculum is conceived as an integral part of the total residency program, and the resident will be expected to comprehend various theories about psychological and interpersonal functioning and to demonstrate proficiency in the various techniques taught. The major goal through the resident's three years is to help the resident to identify themselves as an agent of change and to increase the flexibility of their actions and understanding of this role.
The methodology for teaching the content areas in behavioral science include didactic presentations and experiential learning, such as role-play, videotaped interactions and one-to-one precepting during patient care. In the Resident-In-Clinic rotations, the behavioral science curriculum utilizes lectures, workshops and individual precepting. During patient care, individual precepting will enable the resident to demonstrate expertise in any given content area and allow for educational emphasis according to need and special interest. Requirements for this clinical experience vary with the resident's year, and are detailed under the specific section detailing the curriculum.
The content areas in behavioral science are multi-level, combining the resources of the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. Included in the content areas are developmental theories of growth and change (i.e. personality, life cycle, family dynamics) and examination of variations in behavior (acting out, depression, substance abuse) and variations in experience (losses, alternate lifestyles, cultural issues). Each content area addressed will include management techniques (interviewing, counseling, pharmacological therapy and/or referral).
For information, email fmrecruit@mednet.ucla.edu.