The 3^rd Annual PCMH Congress was held in sunny Orlando, Florida this past weekend. As a returning attendee, I found that NCQA continues to deliver high-quality topics and presenters for healthcare organizations and practices who are focused on pursuing and maintaining quality healthcare for their patients with the Patient Centered Medical Home Model. There were over 900 attendees, including a unique blend of policymakers, primary care and specialty providers, healthcare administrators, and healthcare IT and quality & practice administrators from all types and sizes of practices. HCO’s ran the spectrum from small rural to large academic practices, all collaborating on how to undergo, build, and improve their practice transformation. 73 distinguished faculty provided a wide range of topics, and attendees had over 42 sessions to choose from over the course of the three-day conference!

One key theme throughout the conference was a redesign of the PCMH recognition program. It started with a pre-conference session, delivering a deep dive of the new process, and continued to the opening session: Lessons Learned led by Michael Barr, NCQA’s Executive Vice President. The transparency of the lessons learned, both from practices who shared their experiences and the NCQA staff, was refreshing, to say the least, as they highlighted both the good and bad. I found it directly in line with the PCMH model of quality improvement and putting into practice the concepts of continuous process and quality improvement.

• In April, NCQA launched a redesign of their PCMH recognition process, which included a complete overhaul in some areas, with increased flexibility to accommodate all types of practices. Below are some of the high-level changes:
  • Reduced criteria from 167 factors in 2014 to 100.
  • New terminology: standards, elements, and factors were replaced with concepts, competencies, and criteria.
  • Levels 1, 2, and 3 no longer exist. Practices are either PCMH recognized or not.
  • Practices must meet 40 Core requirements and select 25 out of 60 Electives to become PCMH recognized.
  • Annual reporting is required to sustain recognition

• Practices that are new to becoming a PCMH-recognized practice will start in the Commit phase. Get started here. If you are uncertain why to do Patient Centered Medical Home, here are some of the top reasons:
  • Improve patient care delivery and outcomes.
  • Decrease healthcare costs.
  • Increase staff and clinician satisfaction.
  • Prepare for other quality regulatory programs such as MACRA, CPC+, ACO’s.

• For already recognized practices, depending on the year and level, you will have different pathways. Understanding the new process and your renewal date is critical to allow time to transition to the new process.
  • 2011 Level 1-3 and 2014 Level 1-2 will begin in the transform phase.
  • 2014 Level 3 will begin in the Succeed Phase and go directly into annual reporting

If you are interested in a 30-minute complimentary session with us to discuss your organization roadmap of transformation please email transformation@galenhealthcare.com or contact us below: