Care management gives patient 'new life'

Ronald Secor was so compromised from pulmonary fibrosis he was slowly suffocating. With almost 100 pounds of excess weight, however, Secor was not a candidate a lung transplant. Then he started working with Kathleen Hoven, a new type of medical professional called a care manager. Provided through a federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation grant administered by Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, care managers specialize in helping patients with complex medical conditions. Hoven helped Secor lose weight and navigate the medical maze of his care, making it possible for him to receive a lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2015. “At I’m 60 years old,” said Secor, who can now climb stairs, walk and breath again. “Started my 60th year with a new life.”