Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Wood River Health Services earns national recognition for patient-centered care

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.