Unlike the traditional Signify Health clinician, traveling clinicians visit members across county lines, states and even the entire country. Physician, physician assistant and nurse practitioner travelers close care gaps across the country to meet members where they are and in communities with health care shortages. Read our series of profiles on traveling clinicians.
When Signify Health nurse practitioner Edward Hatton rang a member’s doorbell to begin a recent In-Home Health Evaluation, he discovered this visit was going to be unlike any he’s had before.
The member opened the door and revealed she was deaf.
He quickly pivoted, connecting her with a sign language interpreter to continue the visit as he would with any other member.
“I love being able to help people from all different backgrounds,” Edward said. “I think one of the greatest things about this role is that our members need help and we can provide them with it.”
By the end of her visit, she hugged him. She told Edward no doctor had ever listened so intently.
“She was so sweet, she had tears in her eyes. She had gone through a lot of personal change herself in the last week,” Edward said. “Her hug just validated the effort that we put in and basically what we do to help our members.”
The woman was just one of the many members Edward sees as he moves between cities in New Jersey as a traveling clinician for Signify Health. He is part of a group of clinicians who spend most of their time away from home, staying in hotels and even traveling sometimes thousands of miles to see members.
Success is rooted in learning
Despite only being at Signify Health for just over three months, Edward has already been successful and continuously receives positive feedback from members. He attributes that success to his curiosity about the communities he serves and the robust training and support Signify Health clinicians receive.
During his drives, Edward closely watches the environments to learn about the various neighborhoods, history and culture of the cities he serves, a unique ability afforded by his role as a traveling clinician.
This role allows for clinicians to get a better look at the resources available to members in their area, he said.
“I'm learning about my state from a health access perspective,” Edward said. “As I travel to different areas of the state, I'm learning about systems that I didn't know much about.”
This information helps him better understand members and offer a higher quality visit, he said.
During every visit, he makes an effort to go beyond the required questions. He helps members understand how conditions or medications interact with each other and explains how members can maximize their health outcomes.
Expanding his ability to work in other areas is another avenue to offer more members better care, he said. Edward’s home base is New Jersey, but with the help of Signify Health, he’s looking to add licenses in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
“You have opportunities to learn about health care and member needs across the U.S.,” Edward said. “The more you can expand your perspective, I think the better support you can provide.”
Traveling offers greater flexibility
Almost every month, Edward is in a new area of New Jersey, often hours away from home. He typically spends weekends in the new area touring and sightseeing.
“You get to explore places that you may not have normally thought of or had the opportunity to explore in your downtime,” Edward said. “I never knew that type of town existed in the state of New Jersey but it's just so picturesque, and there's just lakes, there's so many lakes, and so many lake communities and it's just absolutely breathtaking.”
He often spends weekends visiting his daughter who lives nearby in Manhattan.
“We are actually closer, I mean besides when we lived under the same roof, we're closer now than I am to other family members,” Edward said.
When he’s not visiting his daughter, his furry best friends Apollo and Sophie, a chihuahua mix and a corgi mix, visit. The two small dogs stay in the hotels on weekends to keep him company, he said.
“I do miss them,” Edward said. “I rescued Sophie from a previous coworker whose mom couldn't take care of the dog anymore due to health issues and aging concerns.”
Are you a clinician interested in helping health plan members gain a more comprehensive view of their health? To learn more about opportunities with Signify Health, visit our Clinical Careers page.
Reference to Signify Health herein refers to Signify Health, LLC and its contracted independent physician owned entities to which it provides administrative services, including Signify Health Medical Associates, PLLC; Brookview Medical Associates, PLLC; Signify Health Medical Associates of California, P.C.; Signify Health Medical Associates of New Jersey, LLC; and Signify Health Medical Associates of Kansas, LLC.