VCU Health clinics receive highest designation as primary care homes
December 14, 2016Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016 Four VCU Health clinics have received a national designation that acknowledges their respective physicians’ ability to meet patient demand, provide electronic medical records and avail themselves in person, by phone and online. The National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition characterizes the clinics as state-of-the-art primary care homes, focused on meeting patient needs and exhibiting excellence in six areas, including team-based care and population health management. The Nelson Family Medicine Clinic, the Hayes E. Willis Health Center, the Complex Care Clinic, and the Center for Advanced Health Management received the designation. Physicians there service patients throughout Richmond and its surrounding communities. Each clinic operates as an extension of VCU Health, and worked on specific projects to qualify for the designation, which is the most widely accepted formal assessment for primary care medical homes. The designation reinforces VCU Health’s commitment to the quadruple aim; better health care experiences, better population health, lower overall cost, and better work satisfaction for medical teams. It also affirms the work being done within the various sites. “The designation serves as a sense of pride for the teams that were involved. It validates the quality improvement efforts surrounding such items as colorectal screening, immunizations and mammography screening,” said Susan Miller, M.D., clinical professor of Family Medicine and Population Health, who served as clinical lead for the PCMH project. “Many clinical process flows were evaluated and changed to meet the PCMH metrics, ultimately increasing the quality of care provided. I also believe the designation communicates to patients our commitment to them and their health care.” “We are not simply a doctor’s office, but a home for all that is related to health.” Other staples of a PCMH ranking include providing comprehensive and continuous medical care and an emphasis on coordination and communication. VCU Health received the highest level of certification, a level three. “Our interdisciplinary teams provide a medical home for acute, chronic and mental health care,” Miller said. “We are not simply a doctor’s office, but a home for all that is related to health.” Subscribe for free to the weekly VCU News email newsletter at https://news.vcu.edu/ and receive a selection of stories, videos, photos, news clips and event listings in your inbox every Thursday.