S.J. medical complex opens on Thursday

Lodi News-Sentinel (CA)

Feb. 27-- Feb. 27--STOCKTON -- After a year and a half of planning, the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) will host its grand opening on Thursday.

PACE is a comprehensive health service program for individuals who are 55 or older and are eligible for "nursing facility level of care," which is determined by California's Medicaid program, said Jillian Simon, the executive director for the Stockton PACE.

"Our facility offers multiple services to our patients. We are a one-stop shop of medical service," she said. "Our patients do not live in our facility. Our program is specifically designed for people that live at home."

PACE offers transportation services that can pick up and drop off patients from their homes to the medical complex.

The state-of-the-art complex offers an on-site pharmacy. It employs skilled nurses who provide occupational therapy services. PACE also contracts with medical professionals who offer dental, vision and hearing services.

"For many elderly people, access to care is a major issue because they have multiple appointments scheduled in one day and they have to go to different locations to get to all their appointments," Simon said.

She believes that the convenience of going to one location will ease that burden.

At PACE, the staff coordinates care for each patient based off of their medical history and their doctor's recommendations.

"We have a network of doctors who we are contracted with. We offer a similar insurance model to our patients that Kaiser does, but we offer more through ... our care team program," Simon said.

Through the care team, patients get access to nutritionists who offer counseling and provide meals to patients through PACE's nutrition support program.

"We strive to provide a comprehensive program that is driven by our mission, and we look to offer access to medical professionals who are proactive when it comes to care," Simon said.

The PACE program has the added advantage of giving people a place to go and an opportunity to meet new people through music classes, cultural events and group exercise classes.

"We focus on programs that both promote socializing and stimulating our patient's cognitive functions through engaging activities," Simon said.

PACE provides services for people throughout San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. As the first such facility in San Joaquin County, Simon believes that it is important to set the standard on quality health care that is patient-centered.

"We are so excited to open and work with the people in our community and show them how passionate we are about our patients. We don't want to be a secret. We want people to know about us and to learn about us," Simon said.

The PACE facility is located on 528 E. Harding Way.

For more information about Stockton PACE, visit stocktonpace.welbehealth .com. Interested patients can learn more about the programs they offer and schedule a tour of the facility.

___

Visit the Lodi News-Sentinel (Lodi, Calif.) at www.lodinews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.