MIT Health is accepting new patients. As annual employee open enrollment is happening, remember to sign up for an MIT-sponsored health insurance plan so you and your family can use MIT Health services such as Primary Care, Urgent Care, and nearly 20 different types of specialty care. In this podcast, Primary Care Clinical Director Jessica Senesi, Medical Specialties Manager Kate Derr and Family/Sports Medicine Physician Chukwueloka Obionwu talk about the benefits of managing your care at MIT Health.
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Getting Your Care at MIT Health
Featured Speakers:
Jessica Senesi, NP| Kate Derr, RN | Chukwueloka Obionwu, Jr., MD
Jessica Senesi did her undergraduate degree in biology at Boston University, and then went on to get her RN certificate / M.S. at MGH Institute of Health Professions. While studying to become a nurse practitioner, Senesi specialized in both adult and women’s health. As a primary care provider, she likes that she gets to care for the same patients over time. She has been with MIT Health for over 13 years and is now the Clinical Director for Primary Care.
Kate Derr is the Nurse Practice Manager of Medical Specialties and Occupational Health at MIT Health. Kate holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from MGH Institute of Health Professions, as well as a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Regis College. Prior to that, Kate received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business from Lafayette College. Twenty years ago, while working in New York City as an event planner, Kate came to the realization that she was destined to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a registered nurse. Since then, Kate has devoted her career towards the promotion of excellent patient care, community wellness, and advancing nursing practice. Kate lives on the North Shore with her husband and two children. She and her family are avid sailors, hikers, and skiers.
Dr. Chukwueloka Obionwu, Jr. and his parents moved from Nigeria to Queens, New York, when he was two years old. He went to medical school Tufts and did his medical residency at Cambridge Health Alliance, and later a Sports Medicine Fellowship at Boston University. He approaches patient care through the lens of both primary care and sports medicine, constantly thinking about how he can use both skill sets to support his patients.Outside of work, Obiowu enjoys playing basketball, weight-training, and spending time with his wife, two daughters, his mother, and friends.
Transcription:
Getting Your Care at MIT Health
Getting Your Care at MIT Health
Melanie Cole, MS (Host): It's that time of year again, Open Enrollment, which is the annual time of year when employees get to decide if they want to opt in on an institute sponsored insurance plan for themselves and their families. We're talking about getting your care at MIT Health.
Welcome to Conversations with MIT Health. I'm Melanie Cole. We have a panel today with three MIT health providers for you. Joining me is Dr. Chukwueloka Obionwu, Jr., he's a physician in Family and Sports Medicine; Jessica Senesi, she's the Clinical Director of Primary Care; and Kate Durr, she's a Medical Specialties Nursing Manager.
Welcome to you all. Thank you for joining us today. Jess, I'm going to start with you, please. So, I've got questions that I'm going to be asking you all. Laura asks, "I'm new to MIT, and I don't quite understand all the services available to me at MIT Health as an employee. Can you give me an overview, please?"
Jessica Senesi, ANP-BC: Yeah, that's a great question. So, we offer a lot of services here at MIT Health. We have a full primary care service. We provide primary care for all ages of patients, so newborn all the way up through. We provide care for all health plan members, so that includes both employees and their family members. And we also have a lot of resources on site to support those services. So, we have a laboratory and radiology services. We do mammography and ultrasound. We have clinical pharmacists here, and we even have an embedded behavioral health team that supports our primary care service.
Melanie Cole, MS: Kate, do you want to add in and describe some of the specialty services available?
Kate Derr, DNP: Yeah. So, we offer an impressive list of specialty services here at MIT Health, and that includes Obstetrics and Gynecology. We have a dental clinic. We offer Dermatology, Allergy. We have optometrists and an ophthalmologist on site. We also offer Sports Medicine, Orthopedics, and we have a new relationship with Bay State Physical Therapy. So, we're offering physical therapy on site. We offer Radiology, including mammograms and laboratory services. We have a travel clinic. And we also started offering acupuncture as well, which has been a huge asset to the clinic. It's been really well received. we offer an onsite urgent care, that's open seven days a week for non-life-threatening emergencies at our Cambridge location.
Melanie Cole, MS: That's so comprehensive. Thank you for going over that. And Kate, Alessandro asks, "Boston is a healthcare hub. Why should I use MIT Health Services instead of other practices?" Can you please highlight for us the things that make MIT Health different from other practices?
Kate Derr, DNP: Sure, that is a great question. MIT Health is very unique. First of all, we're very convenient. As mentioned previously, we have two sites. We have a Lexington site and a site in Cambridge. MIT Health clinicians also provide the MIT community with relationship-based care. Your providers are part of the MIT community and therefore really understand your needs.
Melanie Cole, MS: Jess, Vivek asks, "What do I need to do to be able to use MIT Health Services?" So, how do employees opt in?
Jessica Senesi, ANP-BC: Yeah. So really, the only thing that you need to do is have one of our MIT Health insurance plans. So, any employee or family member who has our health insurance plan is able to access our services. We really value having a designated primary care provider or PCP just to establish that longitudinal relationship between the patient and the provider. But you're certainly not required to designate a PCP if you prefer not to. So, that really creates a good opportunity for people to schedule an appointment, come in. You know, give us a test, see if we fit your needs.
Melanie Cole, MS: Dr. Obionwu, the next question is for you. We didn't forget about you. Duncan asks, "I keep hearing that MIT Health is tailored to the needs of the MIT community. What does that even mean?" Would you please tell us how MIT Health is tailored to the needs of the MIT community?
Chukwueloka Obionwu, Jr., MD: So at MIT, we have a pretty diverse population from all over the world. So, we offer translation services in 150 languages in addition to American sign language. And we also have the ability to translate documents from other languages into English.
Melanie Cole, MS: Wow. And Kate, will you expand on what Dr. Obionwu was just discussing?
Kate Derr, DNP: Our clinicians really understand the occupational roles on campus. They are accustomed to explaining the why behind a diagnosis and not just marching orders.
Melanie Cole, MS: Kate, I'd like you to answer this next one for us. Felix asks, "Can I utilize services at both the Cambridge and Lexington locations? How are the locations different in what they offer?"
Kate Derr, DNP: Absolutely, yes. So, patients can utilize both the Lexington and Cambridge locations. Lexington offers primary care for adults and pediatrics. They also offer routine laboratory tests, as well as routine gynecological exams, including Pap smears. The Cambridge location, however, offers a full scope of services, including all of those specialties I had mentioned. The Cambridge location also has an urgent care that is open seven days a week.
Melanie Cole, MS: Dr. Obionwu, can you expand on that for us?
Chukwueloka Obionwu, Jr., MD: Yeah, the Lexington location also adds additional convenience for people who live north of the city closer to the I-95 loop.
Melanie Cole, MS: I'd like to give you each a final thought here. So Jess, why don't we start with you? What would you like listeners to take away from today's message on getting your care at MIT Health?
Jessica Senesi, ANP-BC: Yeah, I would just like all the listeners to know that we are a great option for your healthcare needs, for both primary care and specialty care. Most people find our location really convenient, especially if they tend to come to campus pretty regularly. And we also have a satellite location in Lexington that can be helpful for people who live out closer to that neck of the woods.
Melanie Cole, MS: Kate, what about you?
Kate Derr, DNP: MIT Health clinicians are vested in the health of the MIT community. They are part of the MIT community. They have a great understanding of what the community needs are, and they meet those needs every day. It is a wonderful environment where patients are treated like family.
Melanie Cole, MS: What a great message. And Dr. Obionwu, last word to you. Can you please reiterate the benefits of MIT Health for our audience today as far as understanding the unique needs of this very unique community at MIT?
Chukwueloka Obionwu, Jr., MD: Yeah, I think it's awesome here. We are a pretty diverse group of people with different backgrounds and different interests, and we really care about the patients. We collaborate, we try our best to be as comprehensive as possible. And to add to what everyone else said, it's pretty convenient. If you're on campus, you can come right over to MIT Health, or if you're out in Lexington, you can head over to the Lexington location as well.
Melanie Cole, MS: Thank you all so much for joining us today. And that concludes this episode of Conversations with MIT Health. Please visit our website at health.mit.edu for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. I'm Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for joining us today.