NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Health announced today that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized four primary care practices in Rhode Island with a Level 2 status for achievements in establishing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model.

The practices that were recognized are Southcoast Physicians Group Tiverton Family Medicine (1334 Main Road, Tiverton, R.I.), Southcoast Physicians Group Linden Tree Family Health Center (2444 East Main Road, Portsmouth, R.I.), Southcoast Physicians Group Family MediCenter (672 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, R.I.) and Southcoast Physicians Group Family Medicine (714 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, R.I.). The recognitions are valid until Dec. 28, 2019.

“We’ve developed more of a team approach to medicine,” said Dr. Julia DeLeo, who practices at the Southcoast Physicians Group Linden Tree Family Health Center. “Our medical assistants and nurses will be more involved in patient care, and our patient care managers are doing more outreach than ever before. Allowing the team members to do more, takes the burden off of the physician and ultimately leads to better care for the patient.”

The effort is being led by Dr. Brett Hurteau, Medical Director – Patient Centered Medical Home, Courtney P. Ives, Chief Operating Officer for Southcoast Physician Group, and Jennifer DiPasqua, Program Manager. Southcoast Health practices that have received this recognition in the past are Southcoast Physicians Group – Borden Medical (534 Prospect St., Fall River, Mass.), Southcoast Physicians Group at Rosebrook (100 Rosebrook Way, Wareham, Mass.) and Buttonwood (208 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, Mass.)

Southcoast Health has used NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition program as a guide during its evolution. NCQA’s program is a powerful tool for transforming primary care into what patients want it to be. That means:

• Patients have long-term partnerships with clinicians, not a series of sporadic, hurried visits.
• Clinician-led teams coordinate care, especially for prevention and chronic conditions.
• Medical homes coordinate other clinicians’ care and community supports, as needed.
• Medical homes offer enhanced access through expanded hours and online communication.
• They promote shared decisions, so patients make informed choices and get better results.
• Medical homes coordinate care and improve quality but do not deny care; even so, many insurers pay modest fees for these benefits because they save more than they cost.

NCQA PCMH Recognition standards provide a roadmap for making this powerful change in how clinicians provide care. Clear, specific criteria show clinicians how to organize care around patients and work in teams to coordinate, track and improve care

Research demonstrates that PCMHs achieve powerful results. Patients in PCMHs report having increased access to care, according to the American Journal of Managed Care. Studies show that PCMHs reduce disparities in care for people with lower incomes. Empire Blue Cross of New York showed that NCQA PCMHs have higher quality and lower cost than non-PCMHs. A study in Colorado found $2-4 in savings for every $1 spent, and other states are seeing similar benefits.

About The National Committee for Quality Assurance

The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system, helping to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.

The NCQA seal is a widely recognized symbol of quality. Organizations incorporating the seal into advertising and marketing materials must first pass a rigorous, comprehensive review and must annually report on their performance. For consumers and employers, the seal is a reliable indicator that an organization is well-managed and delivers high quality care and service.

NCQA has helped to build consensus around important health care quality issues by working with large employers, policymakers, doctors, patients and health plans to decide what’s important, how to measure it, and how to promote improvement. That consensus is invaluable — transforming our health care system requires the collected will and resources of all these constituencies and more.