Guthrie And Blue Cross Of Northeastern Pennsylvania Launch Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot

Two regional health care organizations are working to improve quality and better manage health care costs for local patients. Guthrie and Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BCNEPA) recently joined together to launch a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) pilot program with Guthrie Medical Group primary care physician practices in Pennsylvania.

The PCMH model is part of the evolution of the health care industry toward accountable care and the transformation of Guthrie’s health delivery to meet the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Triple Aim goals: 

  • improving the health of the population (quality and safety)
  • improving the patient experience (satisfaction with care provided)
  • reducing the cost of health care (better value for the community)

The BCNEPA/Guthrie Medical Group pilot program will seek to meet these goals by ensuring that the care patients are receiving meets national quality measures in areas such as childhood immunizations, cancer screenings, diabetes testing and cholesterol management.

As part of the pilot program, BCNEPA will support Guthrie Medical Group’s primary care physicians in making necessary office and technology improvements, including the integration of care coordinators into the practice.

“It is exciting to follow the transformation of the practices, particularly the addition of care coordinators,” said Nina M. Taggart, MD, Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer for BCNEPA.  “They help mobilize the overall care team and engage patients in new ways, which in turn leads to even better outcomes for our members and providers.”

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