Patient-Centered Medical HomeTM'2011
standards emphasize enhanced care through patient‑clinician partnership
From David Henley
 |
| l-r: Dr. Christopher
Campagnari, Dr. Lisa Menard Manlove, Pres. & CEO Michael Lichtenstein, Quality Improvement Manager Lynda Greene |
WASHINGTON, DC - The
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced that Wood
River Health Services of Hope Valley 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.
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.
“We achieved the
highest level of recognition from the National Committee on Quality Assurance
(NCQA) on our application for recognition as a Patient Centered Medical Home
(PCMH),” Wood River Health Services President and CEO Michael Lichtenstein
said. “This is an example of the excellence in teamwork and commitment to
quality services that we have come to expect from the staff at Wood River
Health.”
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 tended to by clinician-led care
teams, who provide for all the patient's health care needs and coordinate
treatments across the health care 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 Wood River Health Services has the tools, systems and resources to provide their patients with the
right care at the right time."
To receive
recognition, which is valid for three years, Wood River Health Services 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.
Wood
River Health Services met key program components
in the following areas:
- Written standards for patient access and continuity of care
- Use of patient feedback materials
- Appropriate use of charting tools to track patients and organize clinical information Responsive care management techniques with an emphasis on preventive care for individual patients and for the entire patient population
- Adaptation to patient's cultural and linguistic needs
- Use of information technology for prescriptions, test and referral tracking and coordination with other health care providers
- Use of evidence-based guidelines to treat chronic conditions
- Measurement and reporting of clinical and service performance
To find clinicians and their practices that have
been recognized by the Patient-Centered Medical Home 2011 program, please visit
http://recognition.ncga.org. For
further information, contact NCQA Customer Support at (888) 275-7585.
Wood River Health Services is a non-profit, full-service Community
Health Center serving southwestern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut,
providing primary and family medical and dental care and a nationally recognized
chronic disease management program, as well as social services, nutrition
counseling, WIC program and a food pantry.
The center also provides behavioral health
counseling. Lab testing, including blood work, x-ray and mammography, is
available on-site in cooperation with Westerly Hospital.
Sliding scale payments are available to those who
qualify.
Wood River Health Services is located at 823 Main
St., Hope Valley (on Route 3 south of the village, just off Route I-95 at Exit
2). For more information, call Development Coordinator David Henley at (401) 387-9628 or visit the web site at
www.woodriverhealthservices.org.
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.