New Rockford Clinic

UW Health Rockford Eye opened in September with little fanfare and few disruptions. But the difference for patients and staff in the new location on Rote Road on Rockford's booming north side has been vast.

Although patients are welcomed by the same staff and care is provided by the same physicians, the new space has a more positive feel, said Marcia Schlie, RN, BSN, manager of the clinic.

"It might seem like a small thing to those of us who work here, but even finding the new location is easier for our patients," she said. "The old place was kind of tucked away and this is well marked and very accessible from any direction."

Once inside, an open waiting room with new furniture awaits. Staff has more room to greet patients and take care of paperwork. "You wouldn't believe how much happier people are when they have room to work," Schlie said. The added space also gives patients more privacy when they check in and want to discuss any eye health issues.

"We now have five exam rooms for patient care and increased storage area for needed equipment. This was a struggle at the old location," Schlie said.

Electronic records have become, and continue to be, an improvement, said Justin Gottlieb, MD, a retina specialist and medical director of the Rockford Eye Clinic. "Using the Epic system we have better integration with our other clinics," he said. "It allows for more efficient registration and links patient records to those at other UW clinics." Billing and statements also will improve as the system is further integrated with the UW Medical Foundation.

Ultimately, all of our photographs and digital studies such as OCTs will be digitally stored on a system integrated with our UW photograph storage. This will allow a physician in Madison to review a photograph from Rockford in real time, easing consultation with a colleague or even a phone conversation with a patient. Similarly, photos obtained on a patient in Madison can be readily viewed in Rockford.

Other changes improve patient safety. "It's as simple as wider hallways," Dr. Gottlieb continued. "That allows us to move patients between rooms more safely. We also meet all Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for access." The hallways are easier to navigate because of the width and because the clinic is designed to make it simpler to get around. "There's no more maze for patients to get through when going to and from exam rooms."

The treatment space used for laser and oculoplastics procedures is larger. "It gives doctors and patients more room during treatment," Dr. Gottlieb said.

Physicians and nurses now have separate administrative work spaces. This allows dictations and phone conversations, as well as pre-operative discussions, to be completed in privacy without occupying an exam room. Testing, such as OCT, visual fields and photographs, are in separate rooms. "A technician can be working with one patient, conducting a test, while a physician is examining another. Overall, we are more efficient in this new location," Dr. Gottlieb said.

Patients benefit because they are more comfortable before, during and after procedures and exams. Getting around is easier and the welcoming environment extends to everyone.