Maryanne Nichols was just a few days shy of a long-awaited back surgery when Patina came into her life.
She’d been living alone and in pain in a second-floor apartment in a town outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Eight years after the car accident that inflicted severe damage to her spine, she was neither working as the paralegal she once was nor driving. Her five children lived far away. Getting out had become increasingly complicated and arranging for post-operative care — meals, light housekeeping, medical appointments — was an overwhelming proposition.
“I had become very good friends with my bed,” Maryanne says, remembering the pain that preceded the surgery. “Sometimes it took everything I had just to crawl to the bathroom and back, or to order in for food.”
Patina offered an alternative — a team comprised of Health Champion Luis Gonzalez, Primary Care Practitioner Alex Ristow, MD, and Nurse Champion Willa Bowie, RN, who would both visit Maryanne at home and stay in touch through the Patina mobile app.
Maryanne would no longer have to leave the house for bloodwork and vitals. She wouldn’t have to wait on hold while trying to schedule the myriad medical appointments she required. She wouldn’t have to worry about comprehensively managing her own care. Instead, she could focus on getting through the surgery and returning to the life she loved — sewing, crocheting, long walks in the park, and visits with her friends and family.
Supporting medical and logistical needs
Nurse Willa arrived for Maryanne’s first home visit just ten days after the complex surgery had been undertaken. “Maryanne was in excruciating pain,” Willa remembers. “It was so bad that an ambulance was on its way to transport her to the hospital.” Willa stayed until Maryanne was safely in the care of the ambulance medics. She traveled to the hospital and made certain Maryanne was seen at once, that her surgeon was contacted, and her medications adjusted.
"Willa didn’t leave until she knew I was being taken care of,” Maryanne says. “I was so grateful not to be alone.”
In the days to come, Patina would step in on Maryanne’s behalf — maintaining communications with the surgeon and the pain management specialist, working through insurance claims, and ensuring that in-home health care be provided.
“Everyone is so nice and responsive,” says Maryanne. “They are there for me. And that mobile app is savvy. I just log into the app and everything is right there—my medical history, my Patina team, a record of the notes we send to one another, a scheduling tool. I can send messages and trust that I’ll get a quick response. I can ask for help scheduling or rescheduling appointments without ever wasting time being on hold. Prescriptions are easier to manage, too. And when it’s time for my video appointment with Dr. Alex, I get a reminder the day before and a button to push to connect me at the scheduled hour. It’s all right there on my phone.”
“The mobile app allows us to stay connected beyond the medical side of the person,” says Willa. “It keeps us connected to the full person, in real time.”
A bright future
The intense early post-operative pain Maryanne experienced has faded. Every single day, Maryanne says, she’s getting better, feeling stronger. Now, together with Patina, Maryanne is planning her healthcare future — physical therapy and a new pain management regimen, a regular healthcare routine of diagnostic tests and medical appointments, and frequent conversations and visits with Willa. This former paralegal who raised five children mostly on her own is laughing again as she recalls her younger years as a “very energetic woman” making her own way in big cities and bucolic towns.
“You never know,” Maryanne says. “I might even start dating again, if I find the right good man.” It’s a possibility that would have seemed inconceivable just a few months ago. But with support from her Patina primary care team, Maryanne sees a bright future ahead.
“I just log into the app and everything is right there. I can send messages and trust that I’ll get a quick response. I can ask for help with appointments … Prescriptions are easier to manage, too.”
Enjoy primary care from Patina
Available at the same cost you pay for primary care with your Medicare plan today, Patina is a different kind of primary care that helps you thrive in all aspects of life. You’ll get a dedicated care team that includes a Patina Primary Care Practitioner (PCP) and Patina Health Champion who take the time to know you, understand your needs, and help you navigate the healthcare system – so you get the care you deserve on your terms via video visits, phone, chat and in-person visits, when needed.
Maryanne’s Story
Mom of five; lives just outside of Charlotte
Former paralegal; loves walking, sewing, crocheting, spending time with family
Needed support to help manage the many medical and logistical issues she faced after a complex surgery
Supported by a dedicated care team: PCP Alexandra Ristow, MD, Nurse Champion Willa Bowie, RN and Health Champion Luis Gonzalez
Loves the convenience of the Patina mobile app – and a care team that looks after her total health and well-being