I am pleased to announce that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) awarded my medical practice Level 2 medical home designation  for delivering accessible, comprehensive and family-centered primary care that aims to reduce avoidable healthcare costs over time.

The patient-centered medical home is a model for care that strengthens the physician-patient relationship by replacing episodic care based on illness with a coordinated care management process that promotes long-term health and healing.  The hallmarks of a medical home are an ongoing relationship with a primary care doctor; a physician-led team-based approach with a group of individuals who collectively take care of the patient's ongoing needs across all healthcare settings; a focus on care coordination that is culturally and linguistically appropriate; the use of electronic medical records to ensure that care is delivered safely and prevents redundancy and errors; and the ability to offer access during evenings and weekends.

To be recognized as a NCQA patient-centered medical home, healthcare providers must meet a number of safety and quality standards, including giving patients the knowledge and tools they need for self-management of their health, care coordination, evidence-based guidelines for chronic conditions, and performance reporting and improvement. These NCQA standards are aligned with the joint principles of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), which define the key characteristics of the patient-centered medical home.  To receive the NCQA designation, the  physician practice has to submit an extensive application to demonstrate how the standards are being met. Each physician practice is scored on a scale of 100 points and has three possible levels of recognition.

For more information see:
PCMH Resource Center
AAFP-PCMH