Pros
CHS brought the EMR system to our clinic and increased our patient load so that our "no show" rate was improved. Integrated health (mental health component) was added which was beneficial to all involved - patients, family and providers. I learned a great deal from the talented mental health providers. CHS serves the neediest of the needy which is a population that I have been privileged to serve.
Cons
There is a complete lack of transparency in how this company is run. Mid-level providers do not have a clear chain of command plus the relationships between physicians and mid-levels can be very tenuous. I have practiced for over 25 years and have never had the communication problems that I had with CHS. The attrition in medical providers is astounding. During my relatively short tenure, I saw many physicians that I deemed to be of like-mind as myself whose goal was to serve the neediest of our neighbors leave this organization due to administrative complaints. These were logical complaints that the administration would not heed. Their knowledge and experience in treating patients was not appreciated if it was felt to be outside of what the administration robotically wanted the providers to accomplish. Medical providers, in general, are not appreciated when they have independence of thought based on the most current evidenced-based practice and research. The providers that have job security here are those that curry favor from the administration regardless of how they might individually treat their patients. In other words, should you use your mind and heart to practice, this company will not serve you well. Also, if you are new to the area, a referral from CHS is dreaded by many of the outside providers, and it is not because of the patients being referred. Although there are several reasons, one of the factors contributing to this complex problem is that patients referred from Cherokee frequently do not understand the medical world. Referrals are handled by a large centralized referral team without direct communication from the provider outside of a computerized task. I believe that a referral to another practice should be handled more personally with the provider having insight and greater communication to ensure that a collaborative process is being established and to increase the possibility that the patient will follow through. In summary, all persons in the medical field should work as a team to deliver care. Being part of a team does not mean you defend yourself or organization without thought. It means that you put your best foot forward every day, you are honest about both your strengths and limitations and you continually seek to build bridges to the outside medical community instead of walls.