Rural MO Road Trip
This giant, shiny 630-foot monument in St. Louis is the "Gateway to the West," though most of us prefer the quiet of the Ozarks.
What is the Gateway Arch?
This is the universal "Mom" term for the mysterious place where all the single socks go after they enter the dryer.
What is the "Sock Abyss" or "The Void?"
This "sweet" screening gap requires a blood draw to check a patient's average blood sugar over the last 3 months.
What is an HgbA1c Test?
When a patient can’t get to their appointment because their car broke down, we are tackling this specific social barrier.
What is Transportation?
This 3-digit phone number was launched nationally in 2022 as a direct line for those experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis.
What is Coumadin?
If a patient tells you they are heading to "The Live Music Capital of the World" for a weekend getaway, they are likely driving to this Missouri town.
What is Branson?
This 1990s toy, which required constant feeding and attention, was basically a digital practice run for having a real toddler.
What is a Tamagotchi?
We often help patients schedule this "preventative" imaging test, which NCQA requires for women to screen for breast cancer.
What is a mammogram?
This federal program, often referred to by its 4-letter acronym, helps low-income families buy groceries.
What is SNAP?
When a pharmacy tells you a drug is "too soon to fill," it usually means the patient hasn't reached this percentage of their current supply.
What is 75%?
Many rural Missourians shop at this "country" store known for its red-vested employees and free popcorn (and occasionally, baby chicks).
What is Orscheln Farm & Home (or Tractor Supply)?
According to every Missouri mom’s internal radar, you should never leave the house in the winter without this specific accessory.
What is a Blanket or Heavy Coat?
Medication Adherence measures usually track three specific types of drugs: Cholesterol (Statins), Diabetes, and this "silent killer" condition.
What is Hypertension (high blood pressure)?
In Missouri, this federally funded program (often abbreviated as LIHEAP) helps our low-income seniors specifically with their heating and cooling costs so they don't have to choose between electricity and medication.
What is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program?
This is the formal name for the "list" of drugs that a specific Medicare Advantage plan agrees to cover.
What is a Formulary?
Located in the Ozarks, this is the deepest spring in the state, often described as having a vivid turquoise color.
What is Blue Springs?
In the world of "Bluey," this is the name of Bluey’s younger, slightly more chaotic sister.
What is Bingo?
A "colorectal" screening gap can be closed with a colonoscopy every 10 years or this "at-home" kit every three years.
What is a Cologuard?
In rural Missouri, many patients live in these designated areas where there are not enough primary care providers to meet the population's needs. Navigators often have to work harder to find an open appointment slot in these "Shortage Areas," known by this 4-letter acronym.
Many patients call "Water Pills" by their medical name, which is this category of medication.
What are Diuretics?
This Missouri town is famous for the "Throwed Rolls" at Lambert’s Cafe.
What is Ozark or Sikeston?
In the 90s and early 2000s, if your kids were "sick" but you suspected they were faking it to stay home, you likely reached for this cherry-flavored, thick pink liquid that somehow cured everything from a stomach ache to a scraped knee.
What is Pepto-Bismol?
In the world of insurance, "PDC" is the metric used to measure if a patient is taking their meds. It stands for this.
What is Proportion of Days Covered?
This 3-digit phone number was launched nationally in 2022 as a direct line for those experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis.
What is 988?
In the world of Medicare Part D, this is the unofficial name for the "Coverage Gap" where a patient has to pay a higher percentage of their drug costs out-of-pocket until they reach a certain spending limit.
What is the Donut Hole?