Patient Centered Medical Home's #1 Fan!

I have a secret to share with you.  When I was hired, I had a tiny fraction of a clue as to what I was supposed to be doing in this job.  I avoid saying “no clue” because I had my job description in hand!  What did "Patient Centered Medical Home" mean and what would my role be in operationalizing it for our member Community Health Centers?

I am a researcher at heart.  During my first months as the new Healthcare Transformation Specialist, I read everything, watched countless Webinars and attended every training I could.  There is a lot of information out there!  In this process I quickly became a huge fan Patient Centered Medical Home - and not just because it's part of my job!
 
In its simplest terms, becoming a PCMH – or “PCMH transformation” - means that a primary care practice aligns itself to reflect seven basic principles which you can learn about here.  National accrediting bodies such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Joint Commission are offering formal recognition programs.  Our organization, the Virginia Community Healthcare Association, has implemented the Home Improvement Project as a coordinated approach to helping 100% of Virginia's CHCs achieve PCMH transformation and formal recognition.
 
Whether its within my job or describing what I do to a friend, when I start talking about Patient Centered Medical Home I start channeling my inner Oprah and start overusing words like "excited," "love," "dream," "journey," "eager" and "great."  I can't control it.  Here let me show you by outlining the three major reasons I am excited about PCMH:

A) As a patient and mother/daughter/wife/sister of current and future patients I would love for the PCMH to be my, their and all patients' experience with the health care system every time;

B)  I am eager to work with practices to help implement this model because once they adopt and begin implementing their PCMH journey (which will not be easy, admittedly) there is evidence that providers will be more satisfied because this is how they dreamt of practicing medicine in the first place and

C) Based on data that demonstrate significant cost savings and increased quality in practices that implement the PCMH model, I believe it will be a great part of the solution to all of the ills (pun intended) in our country’s health care system today.
  
I’m happy to report that I now have a pretty good grasp of my job (at least a whole clue or more!) and we are getting down to the business of helping our CHCs through the Home Improvement Project. My hope and vision is that the primary care community, through channeling its inner Oprah and embracing the PCMH movement, will live its best life now and in turn help patients do the same.