Carolina Internal Medicine: Your Patient Centered Medical Home

Carolina Internal Medicine continues to receive recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Patient Centered Medical Home.

The patient-centered medical home is a way of organizing primary care that emphasizes care coordination and communication to transform primary care into “what patients want it to be.” Medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patients’ and providers’ experience of care.

NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition is the most widely-used way to transform primary care practices into medical homes. It is our pleasure to announce our practice has achieved PCMH Level III, which is the highest level recognized.

Attaining PCMH recognition from NCQA is a source of pride for medical practices. But the real value is in what the designation means to patients. Those receiving care from a recognized PCMH get comprehensive, well-coordinated care, ease in making appointments, and short waiting times to see a physician. They develop personal relationships with their healthcare team. Their medical information is collected and stored electronically for instant access by caregivers. Their chronic conditions are closely monitored, follow-up is frequent and self-management is taught and supported. They enjoy convenient online access to their results, prescription refills and appointment requests. Refferals to specialists are smooth and information transfer is immediate.

Our practice has also achieved Meaningful Use and Advanced Level BQPP recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield. The BQPP program is designed to recognize and reward practices that demonstrate a strong commitment to patient-centered care, leadership commitment to quality, improving outcomes and reducing costs. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is the core manditory element in the BQPP program because of the quality and efficiency focus it brings to the practice. BQPP is designed for primary care practices, and other health care practices.

Meaningful Use Rules include concepts such as improving care coordination, ensuring privacy and security of patient’s records, and making sure patients have access to those digital records. There is a list of 25 objectives that providers must meet to prove they have achieved Meaningful Use. We are proud to have met all required standards.

It is our pleasure to serve our patients while maintaining the highest standards possible.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Kubitschek, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.E.O. Carolina Internal Medicine