A Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is the first thing that comes to mind whenever you or a loved one needs dedicated medical care or rehabilitation therapy. Doctors are a liaison between patients and the nursing staff. The presence or absence of doctors within a nursing facility depends on its size and location. SNFs provide advanced-level care for patients, but do they have doctors?

What Are Skilled Nursing Facilities?

SNFs offer the best assistive healthcare environments for patients. They provide short-term, high-level medical and rehabilitative care to patients because such a level of care is impossible in residential settings. They are different from assisted living facilities because they offer much more care and support, including 24/7 medical supervision and rehabilitative therapies for complex medical conditions. The most usual and typical services offered at SNFs entail:

• Rehabilitation Services: It is a part of post-acute care at SNFs, aiming to enable patients to return to their homes. These therapies help people recover from injuries, surgeries, or illnesses affecting movement, independence, or communication. Licensed therapists create personalized plans to improve daily function and quality of life.
• Wound Care: An open wound is unsafe, and proper care is needed to let it heal without catching any infection. Patients with chronic wounds, post-surgical incisions, or pressure ulcers need it the most. Professional dressing changes and monitoring are required to promote healing faster. Patients with diabetes, limited mobility, or ones who are immunocompromised need to be in SNFs due to complicated healing processes.
• Medication Management: Medications are prescribed to be taken on schedule and safely. Sometimes, it is hard for patients to remember the right dosages and the time to take those dosages, leading to potential risks to their health. Therefore, to ensure proper administration of medicines and orderly schedule management, SNFs play a pivotal role in patient's recovery. It is highly recommended for senior citizens or people with Alzheimer's to neither miss required medications nor overdose themselves with unnecessary drugs.
• Chronic Disease Management: SNFs are a safe choice to keep up the morale of patients who have heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients require comprehensive care to manage symptoms, minimize medication errors, avoid complications, and improve the quality of their lives. After all, a better quality of life equals fewer emergencies and risks.

So, the question arises of whether you can leave an SNF as soon as you recover. Yes, because patients do not have to stay in SNFs forever.

‍Do SNFs Have Doctors?

When we think of specialized care, we immediately think of a doctor. Proper care is only possible when professionals set proper guidelines. The question, “Do skilled nursing facilities have doctors?” is genuine. The shortest possible answer to this question is “Yes.” However, the level of doctor involvement is subjective to the requirements of skilled nursing facilities. Most facilities have medical oversight, which takes several forms:

1. Medical Directors: Almost all facilities have a designated medical director who holds a leadership role in overseeing clinical care quality. They set care protocols, review healthcare policies, and ensure regulatory compliance. 
2. On-Site Physicians: The size of SNFs is a deciding factor in whether to have an on-site physician. More specialized SNFs hire full-time on-site physicians to collaborate directly with the nursing facility. Their regular interaction with staff and patients provides immediate attention to address all medical needs. 
3. Visiting Physicians: There are scenarios where the facility might not have a doctor on the staff list but pays regular visits to the SNFs. How many times in a week or month a doctor visits depends on the size of the facility and the medical needs of the patients. 

Telemedicine: Telemedicine is now a valuable resource for many skilled nursing facilities. Sometimes, the doctor might not be available on-site. However, certain situations can be handled with video consultations and quick assessments via remote sessions.

‍Why SNFs Need To Have A Doctor?

Patients trust doctors more than anything, right? A doctor in an SNF enhances the quality of care and builds credibility.  The presence of doctors, whether medical directors, on-site physicians, visiting specialists, or telemedicine, directly impacts the healthcare outcomes in nursing facilities.

Doctors in nursing facilities help with the following:

1. Regular checkups via scheduled visits
2. Handling emergency situations proactively
3. Manage medications for all patients
4. Coordinated care
5. Access to premium medical services

Doctors in the facility are essential for various reasons, such as preventive interventions in emergencies. For example, suppose a patient requires immediate attention after surgery, starts bleeding, or the wound is in a very sensitive area. In that case, the presence of a doctor ensures proper supervision. Prompt medical care saves lives and not only helps in emergencies but also provides specialized knowledge and necessary collaboration to handle all patients’ situations effectively. Hence, the doctor’s presence ensures the care provided is patient-centric and comprehensive.

Why Do All SNFs Not Have Doctors?

So far, having doctors is very important in SNFs, but nothing comes easily. There are many reasons why it becomes challenging for nursing facilities. The size of the nursing facility and the location are crucial factors to consider, and these could be challenges. Here are a few main reasons why:

• Staffing Issues: Retaining qualified doctors and physicians is challenging in all places, but even finding doctors in rural and underserved areas becomes the most difficult part. Limited healthcare facilities make medical supervision a tough job.
• Financial Burden: Full-time doctors require significant financial resources; if the facility is not large enough, it becomes a financial burden. So, in this case, facilities rely on visiting doctors and telemedicine.

If your facility faces any of these problems, then Lemedix is more than just a staffing agency that fulfills your facility's needs.

Conclusion

So, now you know why doctors are so crucial in SNFs!

At Lemedix, we understand the importance of medical supervision in skilled nursing facilities. The presence of doctors plays a primary role in delivering high-quality care, and it is enough to reassure the patient’s family. So, do skilled nursing facilities have doctors? The answer is a resounding yes, but the way they’re integrated into the care model can vary due to the size and location of the facility.