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Indianapolis, IN—The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has announced that the Community Health Network Family Medicine Residency Program at Community Hospital East has received recognition from the Patient-Centered Medical Home 2011 (PCMH 2011) program for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly-coordinated care and long-term participative relationships. Community’s program is the first to achieve this level of recognition in Indianapolis.
The patient-centered medical home is a model of care emphasizing care coordination and communication to transform primary care into “what patients want it to be.” Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and improve patients’ and providers’ reported experiences of care. The PCMH identifies practices that promote partnerships between individual patients and their personal clinicians, instead of treating patient care as the sum of several episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is supported by clinician-led care teams, who provide for all the patient’s healthcare needs and coordinate treatments across the healthcare system. Medical home clinicians demonstrate the benchmarks of patient-centered care, including open scheduling, expanded hours and appropriate use of proven health information systems.
“The patient-centered medical home raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and partnerships between clinicians and patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “PCMH recognition shows that the Community Health Network Family Medicine Residency Program at Community Hospital East has the tools, systems and resources to provide their patients with the right care at the right time.”
In 2010, the Community Health Network Foundation, which raises financial support for Community Health Network, was awarded a $1.3 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to transform its Family Medicine Residency Program into a patient-centered medical home (HRSA grant D58HP20800-04-00 for Residency Training in Primary Care, E. Burtea, M.D., PI 2010-2013; H. Knight, M.D., PI 2013-present).
The grant team consisted of faculty and staff of the residency program and Community’s process improvement team, which worked to create a model curriculum and new procedures to help the residency program meet criteria for this award. The grant continues for two more years and the program team plans to extend its efforts to obtain feedback from the community about services and quality of care, including increased prevention.
“We have a diverse team of health providers caring for patients in our medical home,” said Tricia Hern, M.D., medical director of Community Group Family Medicine and associate director of Community Health Network Family Medicine Residency Program at Community Hospital East. “Patients may come in to see their physician for diabetes and high blood pressure. On that same day, our clinical pharmacists can review their medications and assist in finding lower-cost options. Our nurse care managers are onsite to educate patients about smoking cessation, and may enroll them in our smoking cessation group visits.” Hern went on to say, “Our social workers are available to provide resources to help patients access transportation for their healthcare needs. A dietician is in our office several times a month to provide our patients one-on-one counseling about healthy food choices and lifestyle changes. Providing this level of care at one site is a coordinated team effort that is very beneficial to our patients.”
To receive recognition, which is valid for three years, the Community Health Network Family Medicine Residency Program at Community Hospital East demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements embodying characteristics of the medical home. The standards are aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.
The program met key program components in the following areas:
The Community Health Network Family Medicine Residency Program at Community Hospital East provides extended office hours, same-day appointments, patient access to health information online, self-care support (personalized care to help patients meet personal health goals), best-in-class diabetic care, friendly immunization reminders, personalized follow-up calls to patients recently seen in the hospital or emergency room, frequent communication to patients about routine and preventative care, group sessions, and committed pharmacists to answer questions patients may have about their medications, including lower-cost alternatives.
Community Physician Network, a primary care and multi-specialty physician group that is part of Community Health Network, is also working toward implementation of a patient-centered medical home model in six of its primary care practices. PCMH teams are in place at those practice sites to establish a high-quality medical team approach to care for patients.
To find clinicians and their practices that have been recognized by the Patient-Centered Medical Home 2011 program, please visit http://recognition.ncqa.org. For further information, contact NCQA Customer Support at (888) 275-7585.
About Community Health Network
Ranked among the nation’s most integrated healthcare systems, Community Health Network is Central Indiana’s leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services, where and when patients need them - in hospitals, health pavilions and doctor’s offices, as well as workplaces, schools and homes. As a non-profit health system with over 200 sites of care and affiliates throughout Central Indiana, Community’s full continuum of care integrates hundreds of physicians, specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, behavioral health and employer health services. To learn more, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.
