Transforming safety net practices into patient-centered medical homes

A recently concluded demonstration project made meaningful progress toward introducing a "patient-centered medical home" approach at "safety net" practices serving vulnerable and underserved populations. Lessons learned in the course of developing and implementing the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative (SNMHI) are featured in a special November supplement to Medical Care.

The supplement presents nine original papers sharing "experience and learning" from the SNMHI, which sought to "develop and demonstrate a replicable and sustainable implementation model to transform primary care safety net practices into patient-centered medical homes." The project was carried out at 65 health centers, homeless clinics, private practices, residency training centers, and other safety net practices in Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

Lessons from Implementing the Safety Net Medical Home Approach

The goal of the SNMHI was to extend the benefits of the medical home approach—including improved quality and efficiency of health care delivery—to safety net practices serving uninsured, minority, and other underserved populations. More information on the SNMHI and its framework for implementing the medical home approach can be found at the project website: www.safetynetmedicalhome.org/

Through support and coaching, the 65 project centers made significant advances toward becoming patient-centered medical homes, reports an evaluation by Dr Jonathan R. Sugarman of Qualis Health, Seattle, and colleagues. Dr Sugarman is one of the guest editors of the Medical Care supplement.