“PCMH is a model that encourages patient involvement in their own care with a goal of improved health outcomes at a lower cost,” said Deborah Johnson-Ingram, Senior Director for Clinical and Quality Partners at PCDC. “An increase in PCMH-recognized primary care practices means more patients receiving care in the right place, at the right time, and in the manner that best meets their needs.”
Experts agree that the patient-centered medical home model of care is associated with higher-quality care and better outcomes. To date, PCDC’s experts have assisted over 1100 practices – small, medium, and large – to achieve PCMH recognition. In 2022 alone, New York State practices that PCDC coached to achieve recognition received over $27M in additional incentive payments, supporting financial sustainability.
The Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) provides consultation and technical assistance that enhances the ability of health care providers to deliver quality primary care by improving access, cultivating care coordination success, using data to drive clinical quality, and be better equipped to identify and manage high-risk and high-acuity people, while improving the patient experience. One such provider is Altura Centers for Health, which worked closely with PCDC to provide better, more patient-centered care.
Altura is comprised of eight different sites located across rural expanses in central California. Its centers provide a range of health care services — primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, dental care, behavioral health, nutrition education, and specialty care — to broaden access to vital services in rural communities with minimal access to hospitals.
Over the years, PCDC has had the opportunity to partner multiple times with Altura for PCMH consultation, helping to interpret the language of NCQA’s open-ended PCMH recognition guidelines and translate them into actionable goals.
According to Eric Medina, Quality Improvement Coordinator at Altura, “everybody has a story,” and no two patients are alike, embodying PCMH’s patient-centered model. Altura’s email and phone documentation has also become more organized, further cultivating their contact with patients.
Working up to Altura’s PCMH certification required a large amount of dedication and reorganization. Today, Altura effectively delivers comprehensive, quality care to thousands of people in California. Though the process of PCMH certification is lengthy and requires significant attention to detail, Altura exemplifies how PCDC’s customized support can make the process streamlined, efficient, and approachable.