Once again, 25 Kaiser Permanente Washington primary care medical facilities have been awarded Patient‑Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for 2020. Our medical centers have received this recognition since 2010 and our newest primary care medical centers have participated upon eligibility.
PCMH is a care delivery model in which a patient’s primary care provider coordinates the patient’s care team and arranges access to community resources as needed. Every year, NCQA awards recognition to primary care practices that have made strides in quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care. Research shows that PCMHs improve quality of care, patient experience, and staff satisfaction — while reducing health care costs.
This recognition program is the most widely adopted medical home evaluation program in the country. To earn recognition, primary care practices must meet NCQA PCMH requirements in 6 areas:
- Team-based care and practice organization
- Knowing and managing patients
- Patient-centered access and continuity
- Care management and support
- Care coordination and care transitions
- Performance measurement and quality improvement
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality by measuring and accrediting health plans, as well as the quality of medical providers and practices.