FT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - The primary care Army Medical Homes at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Ft. Greely, and Ft Wainwright (Kamish), as well as Bassett Army Community Hospital, have been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as Patient Centered Medical Homes.
"JBER, Bassett ACH and Kamish achieved initial recognition in 2014 and were recertified this year; earning the highest possible level 3 recognition," says Lt. Col Jeremy Beachcamp, chief of pricary care at Bassett ACH. "Ft Greely, the newest Army primary care clinic in Alaska having opened in Dec. 2015, achieved their initial recognition this year on their very first attempt."
The NCQA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving health improvement throughout the healthcare system. As part of the recognition process, NCQA reviewed hundreds of documents submitted by the four USA MEDDAC-AK AMHs that provided fact-based evidence that the clinic was conducting business as a true Medical Home.
"The importance of this recognition is not a shiny plaque on the wall but rather it represents our commitment to delivering the very highest quality primary care every day to our Soldiers, their families, and retirees," says Beauchamp. "I'm proud that our beneficiaries in Alaska, from JBER to Delta Junction and points in-between, are receiving care within their Medical Homes that meet the highest national standards to which other clinics aspire".
The NCQA measures the ability of medical facilities to provide quality healthcare through standardized, objective measurement guidelines. NCQA requires recognized facilities to enhance access to care and patients' continuity with their provider teams, keep track of patient data to help manage patients' wellbeing, plan and manage care using evidence-based practices, provide self-care support and community resources, as well as track and coordinate tests, referrals and other care for patients. Finally, clinics have to show that they measure their performance and patients' feedback to continue improving the quality of care.
Here's what patients can expect from their Army Medical Homes here in Alaska:
• A personal provider. Each patient has an ongoing relationship with a personal Physician, Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner who is trained to provide first contact, continuous and comprehensive care.
• Physician directed medical practice. The personal physician leads a team(s) of individuals at the practice level who collectively take responsibility for ongoing patient care.
• Whole person orientation. The personal provider is responsible for providing all of the patient's health care needs or for arranging care with other qualified professionals.
• Coordinated and Integrated Care. Each patient's care is coordinated and integrated across all elements of the health care system and the patient's community.
• Quality and Safety focus: All members of the healthcare team are focused on ensuring high quality care in the medical home.
• Improved access: In the PCMH, enhanced access to care options are available through same day appointments, after-hours care, secure messaging (Relay Health), Tricare On-line, virtual health (tele-medicine), and other innovative options for communication between patients, their personal physician and practice staff. Our expectation is urgent appointment requests will be seen within 24 hours and that routine/wellness appointments will be seen within 7 days when requested.
PCMHs have consistently performed better than non-PCMHs with higher patient and staff satisfaction, quality and safety outcomes such as cancer prevention, medical readiness categories, polypharmacy and behavioral health admission rates, as well as cost containment with decreasing ER utilization, medical board timelines, and per capita cost.
"To earn and retain the trust of our beneficiaries, USA MEDDAC AK is committed to innovation, continuous process improvement and a laser-like focus on safe, quality patient care," says Beauchamp. "NCQA PCMH recognition affirms our progress in achieving these goals, but ultimately it's that beneficiary and their experience of care who remains as the central focus within our AMHs".
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