BAACH, the First Military Health Care Facility in Korea to Achieve NCQA Recognition

By Harvey HallMarch 8, 2013

Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

YONGSAN, Korea -- Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital received the highest level, level-3 recognition for its' Patient-Centered Medical Home from the National Committee for Quality Assurance on 14 February 2013.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of care emphasizing care coordination and communication to transform primary care into 'the way healthcare should be.'

Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and improve patients' and providers' reported experiences of care.

The PCMH identifies practices that embolden partnerships between individual patients and their healthcare team--Primary Care Managers, nurses and medics, instead of treating patient care as the sum of several episodic office visits. Each patient care is managed by a PCM-led care team, who provides the entire patient health care and coordinates treatments across the health care system.

Medical home PCMs demonstrate the benchmarks of patient-centered care, including expanded hours, nurse-triage advice line and secure messaging (RelayHealth).

"The PCMH raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access-to-care, quality-of-care and continuity with a PCM-led healthcare team", said BAACH Department of Medicine Chief, Col. Yong Cha. "PCMH recognition demonstrates that the Primary Care Clinic has the resources, systems and tools to provide our patients with the right care at the right time."

To gain recognition, which is valid for three years, the Primary Care Clinic demonstrated the ability to meet the program's key elements that met criteria of the medical home characteristics.

The standards are aligned with the joint principles of the PCMH established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.

The BAACH Primary Care Clinic met key program components in the following areas:

• Written standards for patient access and continuity of care

• Use of patient feedback surveys

• Appropriate use of charting tools to track patients and organize clinical information

• Responsive care with an emphasis on preventive care for the individual patient 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

"The NCQA PCMH process has been a tremendous team display and filled with ongoing staff training, collaboration and integration of services. Thus, the PCMH model of patient-centered care ensures our most valued customers--our patients--receive the benefits that they deserve and have come to expect", said Primary Care Clinic Chief Lt. Col. Cornelius Tyler.

BAACH is the first military health care facility in Korea to receive this recognition from NCQA.

65TH Medical Brigade/MEDDAC-Korea strives to bring the best health system for all beneficiaries in the Republic of Korea.

'Partners In Your Health'