Aurora Health Center-Plymouth in limelight

PLYMOUTH – Staff members and officials affiliated with the Aurora Health Center-Plymouth have reason to celebrate.

The Aurora Health Center-Plymouth and the Aurora Health Center-West Allis have received the Patient- Centered Medical Home designation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The non-profit Aurora Health Care, with 150 clinics throughout 90 eastern Wisconsin communities, is the first health system in Wisconsin to have clinics receive this prestigious, national recognition.

The designation is built upon evidence-based, nationally recognized clinical standards of care. The Patient Centered Medical Home standards emphasize the use of systematic, patient-centered, coordinated care that supports access, communication and patient involvement.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home recognizes a health-care setting that facilitates partnerships among individual patients, their personal physicians and, when appropriate, the patients’ families.

“I am delighted about receiving this three-year recognition,” said Dr. David Smith, medical director – Care Management – Aurora Health Care.

“First, the patient-centered medical home is a concept many people believe will be an integral part of health-care reform,” Smith noted.

“Secondly, receipt of this honor sends a message to people of Sheboygan County that our organization is building effective systems to take care of them.”

He explained that the Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model in which patients are linked to a clinic, known as a medical home. Through a medical home or model of care, each patient has an ongoing relationship with a personal physician, who leads a team responsible for the patient’s care. The physicianled care team is responsible for providing all the patient’s health care needs and coordinating care across the health-care system.

The medical home also emphasizes enhanced care through open scheduling, expanded hours and communication among patients, physicians and staff.

Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to assure that patients get the indicated care when and where they need and want it in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

“We strive to stay connected with patients – whether they are seen in the office or between visits,” Smith said. “We have systems to meet their needs, to make sure we address the quality of care they receive and to stay connected with them.

“With the Patient-Centered Medical Home, patients are less apt to fall through the cracks in the complicated health-care world we live in,” he affirmed.

For example, the Aurora Health Center-Plymouth provides an interactive Web site for making appointments and for asking clinical questions and automated phone calls to remind patients of their followup visits.

The NCQA, which measures quality to improve health care, is a private, non-profit organization, dedicated to improving health-care quality. The NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health-care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical areas.

A clinic must meet stringent criteria to receive NCQA designation as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. Key elements of the evaluation include:

. Written standards for patient access and patient communication . Use of data to show that standards for patient access and communication are met . Use of paper or electronic charting tools to organize clinical information

. Use of data to identify important diagnoses and conditions in practice

. Adoption and implementation of evidence-based guidelines for three chronic conditions – high blood pressure, diabetes and high-cholesterol management

. Active patient self-management support . Systematic tracking of test results and identification of abnormal results . Referral tracking, using a paper or electronic system . Clinical and/or service performance measurement, by physician or across the practice and

. Performance reporting by physician or across the practice.

According to Jeff Bailet, M.D., president of Aurora Medical Group, “This Patient-Centered Medical Home designation reflects our commitment to find better ways of delivering care.

“The patient-centered focus has been an integral part of Aurora’s philosophy of care,” Bailet added. “The Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition is an acknowledgement that we are meeting those expectations and standards.

“As an integrated health system, our goal is to ensure each person receives coordinated, patient-care,” Bailet stressed. “We are working to ensure that strong communication and patient involvement are a standard part of our practice.”