Program Site Descriptions
Ardsley Internal Medicine
Ardsley Internal Medicine is composed of Internal Medicine providers (Internists) who specialize in the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses that affect adults. Ardsley Internal Medicine is a multi-site practice. The Concord location is within two miles of Atrium Health Cabarrus in Concord, NC. The second practice site is located in Harrisburg, a growing suburb of Charlotte. Providers at the clinics include physicians, a nurse practitioner, and clinical pharmacist practitioners. Patients are referred by their primary care providers to pharmacist-led clinics that specialize in medication management in the areas of anticoagulation, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, polypharmacy, and weight loss management. Pharmacists assess patients during clinic visits, review pertinent laboratory data, perform point-of-care testing, determine appropriate therapy, initiate therapeutic plans, and follow up on clinical impact. Pharmacists also routinely use innovative technology such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to guide diabetes treatment decisions. Ardsley is a teaching and rotation site for 4th year pharmacy students from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, High Point University School of Pharmacy, and Wingate University School of Pharmacy. Pharmacists also serve as drug information providers to the medical staff and patients. This includes providing information on medication dosing, drug interactions, product availability, prescription assistance programs, and affordable medication alternatives, to name a few.
Concord Internal Medicine
Located inside Atrium Health Cabarrus, Concord Internal Medicine is composed of practicing physician assistants, primary care physicians and pharmacists. Pharmacists are located in office to provide management of anticoagulation, diabetes, heart failure, COPD, and osteoporosis, as well as perform AWVs. Pharmacists are involved in CGM placement and interpretation. This data is used to fine-tune insulin regimens. Patients are referred by primary care providers to pharmacist-led clinics which operate according to protocol driven management. Pharmacists assess patients through clinical visits and interviews, review laboratory data, determine appropriate therapy, and document through progress notes. Medication and laboratory value ordering, as well as scheduling follow-up, is also completed by pharmacists during clinic visits. Providers at Concord Internal Medicine have expressed gratitude for the pharmacy services provided and enjoy utilizing pharmacists to optimize patient care. The inter-disciplinary team consists of frequent collaboration between pharmacists and mid-level providers.
Kannapolis Internal Medicine
Located in Kannapolis, NC, Kannapolis Internal Medicine, a facility of Atrium Health Cabarrus, treats adult patients that have both acute and chronic conditions. Providers include physicians, pharmacists and nurse practitioners. Patients are referred by primary care providers to clinical pharmacist practitioner (CPP)-led clinics that specialize in the management of anticoagulation, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, weight loss management, COPD, and metabolic syndrome, as well as performance of AWVs. The pharmacist is responsible for developing and implementing individualized patient care plans based on the needs of the patient. Services include cost-effective medication recommendations, medication initiation, therapeutic drug monitoring, laboratory value ordering, use of CGM to adjust diabetes medication regimens, and lifestyle education. Additionally, pharmacists serve as a resource for drug information in this practice. Kannapolis Internal Medicine is a teaching site for fourth year Wingate University School of Pharmacy students.
NorthEast Medication Management Anticoagulation Clinic
NorthEast Medication Management Anticoagulation Clinic is on the Atrium Health Cabarrus campus. Patients are referred by providers to this pharmacist-led anticoagulation clinic. Anticoagulation may be indicated for patients with atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, hypercoagulable states, prophylaxis and other warranted conditions. Pharmacists manage patients on both oral anticoagulants and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), and modify doses as indicated through an approved protocol. Pharmacists provide anticoagulant education, modify doses, assess and adjust for drug interactions, and consult with providers regarding procedural bridging in order to design/manage these plans, if needed.
Care Management Teams
Population Health Care Teams consist of a nurse manager, health advocate, and pharmacist. These teams are geographically distributed throughout the Charlotte Metro areas to provide patient care to rising risk patients. These patients have had an admission within a year and have multiple comorbidities and medications. The care teams provide inter-disciplinary care coordination, medication titration, and coaching to facilitate patient self-management of their health. Technology is utilized by the care teams to facilitate efficient and on-demand patient interactions. These pharmacists work independently and cover numerous practice sites per region. These teams provide pharmacist access to multiple practices that do not include embedded pharmacy services.
Atrium Health Myers Park, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center
Located in the Dilworth neighborhood within walking distance to CMC-Main, this practice site provides continuity care to indigent patients and include multiple subspecialties. The site has a pharmacist run anticoagulation clinic and provides pharmacy services including diabetes management, CHF management, asthma clinic, HIV medication management, hypertension clinic, and pharmacist-run Medication Management Clinic. Myers Park Clinic also has a 340B dispensing pharmacy to serve the prescription needs of patients receiving care at Myers Park Clinic, Elizabeth Family Medicine or those being discharged from CMC or the CMC emergency department. Medical residents are incorporated into the diverse range of services at the site. In the pharmacy, medication synchronization, MTM, and patient assistance services are provided. A specific formulary is closely followed to ensure cost of medications is not a barrier for high risk patients.