Understanding a ‘Patient-Centered Medical Home’

A patient-centered medical home is a nice conglomeration of words, but what does it mean for you, the patient?

“Patient-centered is the important part of this phrase,” said Gerald Suchomski, MD, who serves as the quality medical director at Memorial Physician Services. “It means we’ve turned the focus of healthcare delivery from the doctors to the patient.”

According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality, a patient-centered medical home highlights those primary care providers who have demonstrated that they can coordinate care among all doctors and health care providers on behalf of their patients. Other specific patient-centered medical home criteria include:

• Providing patients with a better understanding of their treatment options and partnering with them in their healthcare decisions
• Providing better access through expanded hours and the web
• Working in teams to prevent problems and manage chronic conditions to keep patients as healthy as possible

The NCQA offers three levels of patient-centered medical home recognition. Memorial Physician Services’ primary care clinics have been recognized as a Level 3 patient-centered medical home, the highest level possible.

In this video, Dr. Suchomski further explains the significance of being recognized as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home and what it means to the patients of Memorial Physician Services.