As a financial clearance specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Trish DeSheles is responsible for making sure insurance is billed properly for patients. “I want things to be right from the beginning,” she said. “If you have an illness, you shouldn’t have to worry if insurance is billed correctly.”
That’s why she was thrilled to hear her employer offered the MyOrthoHealth Bundle when she knew she needed a knee replacement. The bundle program coordinates all of the services needed to successfully address shoulder, hip and knee pain, while ensuring appropriate care and a faster return to life and work. The experience is streamlined with the help of personal patient navigator, and health care costs are transparent and predictable.
“I knew what to expect,” she said. “There was just one insurance bill to cover my deductible, and there were no other expenses for me.”
She found her patient navigator particularly helpful. “She was wonderful,” DeSheles said. “As soon as I qualified for the bundle, she sent me everything I needed and even followed up afterward. She helped with any questions and was quick to reply. Even toward end of my recovery, she followed up to make sure I was doing okay.”
DeSheles, who was active in sports when she was younger, had torn her meniscus and had arthritis. She lost some weight and tried gel injections, which helped somewhat and postponed the need for surgery—until she tore her ACL.
“I turned 50 and everything went downhill,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep because of knee pain. Even walking up steps was very hard.”
She had her left knee replaced in 2019, but there were problems with the surgery. The outcome for her right knee replacement was quite different with the MyOrthoHealth procedure, which was performed by Dr. Steven Engstrom.
“I feel much better,” she said. “I’m very active—hiking, bike riding, playing with grandchildren, gardening, walking up steps—with no more pain. And the biggest attraction was that it was much cheaper for my right knee replacement than my left. I saved thousands of dollars.”
She’s already recommended the MyOrthoHealth Bundle to others. “I tell people to come see Dr. Engstrom,” she said. “Don’t wait—this is your life. If you’re in pain, it’s not worth it.”
For DeSheles, it was more than a knee replacement. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
