June  Month in Review: The Heat is On (Primary Care!)

The Heat is On (Primary Care!)
June 25
Dear Members and Friends, 

A huge win today for US health care and individuals who rely on federal subsidies to access health services! In the decision just released, the US Supreme Court upheld that the Affordable Care Act allows individuals access to subsidies in all states, regardless of whether the state runs their own health exchange or if accessing health insurance through the federal exchange.  This decision is critical in our efforts to assure everyone has access to comprehensive primary care services. We have no doubt that momentum will continue to heat-up for the patient-centered medical home in light of this decision!

Yet another summer win for medical homes was found early this month in JAMA Internal Medicine. A
 study by Friedberg et al., which reported significant reductions in ED visits and hospitalizations, as well as major improvements in quality of care. These impressive findings add to a growing body of evidence that associates advanced primary care with improving the quality of care delivered, while reducing costly and unnecessary health care utilization. Click here to read PCPCC’s statement on the study and check out the PCPCC Map for a cumulative look at the PCMH evidence.
 
The Friedberg study offers several important lessons, including the importance of payment reform when implementing innovative team-based models of care. This week, the PCPCC expounded upon that point and highlighted the need for stronger investment in primary care in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee about how to improve quality and reduce the cost of care for Medicare enrollees with chronic conditions. Click here to read the letter.
 
Last week, I headed to Capitol Hill to represent PCPCC at the Robert Graham Center’s primary care forum on Innovations in Population Health for Primary Care Practices. The forum featured a panel of innovative primary care leaders who discussed the critical role of patient engagement and community supports  in improving population health outcomes. Earlier this month, PCPCC and Peers for Progress promoted this message in a joint publication that features ten model programs that actively integrate community health workers in primary care teams.

 
Sincerely,


Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
National Briefing Today!
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has focused their 2015 advocacy efforts on a bill called the Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act to improve patient care at home. The CARE Act outlines a process by which a family can choose a designated caregiver for a loved one, where a Hospital then has the responsibility to instruct and demonstrate how to perform different medical tasks and give proper care. Elaine Ryan, AARP’s Vice President of State Advocacy & Strategic Integration (SASI), will join PCPCC’s National Briefing on June 25th to inform us on the benefits and goals of this Act in relation to patient-centered primary care.

June 25, 1 - 2 p.m. ET
Speaker
Elaine Ryan, MPA: Vice President of Government Relations, AARP
Register today! This event is free to the public but advanced registration is required. 
Explore the goals of The CARE ACT. 
 
Top 5 Must Reads
View additional PCMH-related news articles and peer-reviewed studies from June on our website at www.pcpcc.org.
Registration Open for PCPCC's Annual Fall Conference! 
Registration is officially open! Join us for the PCPCC 2015 Annual Fall Conference Nov. 11 – Nov. 13, 2015 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. 

Now more than ever we have the opportunity to set a new vision for the future of our health care system. Our theme this year, Investing in Primary Care: Patients, Professionals, & Payment, offers the opportunity for you and your colleagues to participate in dozens of panel discussions and workshops that will focus on three key areas in need of increased investment including:
  • Payment reform in primary care 
  • Bolstering and expanding the primary care workforce 
  • Activating patients and families in their care, quality improvement and policy development 
This year our program will not only include high-level policy discussions from primary care and medical home thought leaders, but also “how to” discussions led by experts in the field in our workshops and break-out sessions. 

Register today!
Pennsylvania PCMH program achieves impressive results
A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine evaluated the Northeast region of the Pennsylvania Chronic Care Initiative (PA-CCI) and found that PCMH practices reduced unnecessary ED visits and hospitalizations, while increasing access to primary care services and improving care quality. For more information about the program, check out the PA-CCI page on our Primary Care Innovations and PCMH Map and read some of the study's media coverage below:

Pennsylvania Medical Home Model Links Data, Quality, Savings | Health Leaders Media

Medical Home Intervention Led to Improvements in Care | Healio Internal Medicine

Nature And Nurture: What’s Behind the Variation In Recent Medical Home Evaluations? | Health Affairs Blog
 
Welcome to Our Newest Executive Member!
The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) is a non-profit membership organization that allows ACOs to work together to increase quality of care, lower costs and improve the health of their communities. Learn more here.
Recently Released Papers and Reports

The Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative: Early Perceptions of Multi-Payer Reform in a Fragmented Provider Landscape | The American Journal of Managed Care

No Place to Call Home — Policies to Reduce ED Use in Medicaid | New England Journal of Medicine

Effects of a Medical Home and Shared Savings Intervention on Quality and Utilization of Care | JAMA Internal Medicine

Experiences and Attitudes of Primary Care Providers Under the First Year of ACA Coverage Expansion | The Kaiser Family Foundation

Peer Support in the PCMH
Community Health Workers are playing an increasing role in patient-centered medical home programs. Click here to read a joint publication from Peers for Progress, National Council of La Raza and PCPCC that highlights the value of peer support in the primary care team.
PCPCC Webinar: Engaging Primary Care Practices in Quality Improvement



 
 
July 8, 12 - 1 p.m. ET *note time change

REGISTER

The PCPCC is hosting AHRQ and Mathematica Policy Research for a July 8th webinar on engaging primary care practices in quality improvement. Their recent white paper describes approaches that practice facilitators/coaches can take to encourage primary care practices to undertake quality improvement (QI) activities. The white paper and accompanying “Quick Start Guide” present a framework for engaging primary care practices in QI and provide practical strategies for gaining initial buy-in from practices, maintaining meaningful and sustained engagement, and working with multiple programs.

Speakers include:
  • Jonathan Sugarman, MD, MPH, President and CEO, Qualis Health
  • Julie Schilz, BSN, MBA, VP, Care Delivery Transformation, Anthem
  • Karla Silverman, MS, RN, CNM, Director, Clinical and Training Initiatives, PCDC
  • Kristin Geonnotti, PhD, Health Researcher, Mathematica Policy Research
  • Robert McNellis, MPH, PA, Senior Advisor for Primary Care, AHRQ
PCPCC on the Road
On June 25th, PCPCC CEO Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH will be joining the NORC Regional Listening Session at the University of Chicago Bethesda Offices to offer input on how to improve health care quality and reduce disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, and individuals with disabilities. Next, Marci will be attending Models of Care for High-Need Patients, IOM Workshop on July 7th, to discuss the key characteristics and needs of high-need patient populations, and explore the critical factors that influence the success, sustainability, and spread of targeted new models of care. Finally, she will be meeting with the AAFP Board of Directors in British Columbia on July 24th to discuss the work of the Primary Care Collaborative. Follow Marci on Twitter @Marci_PCPCC to stay in touch!
 
Upcoming Events
June 25 - July 30
Webinar: Engaging Primary Care Practices in Quality Improvement
July 8  l  PCPCC I AHRQ

Introduction to PCMH: Foundational Concepts of the Medical Home
July 21 & 22 l  Washington, D.C., The Westin Columbus

Advanced PCMH: Mastering the Medical Home Transformation
July 23
 l  Washington, D.C., The Westin Columbus

PCPCC 2015 Annual Fall Conference
Investing in Primary Care: Patients, Professionals, & Payment
Nov. 11 - 13  l  Washington, DC, Grand Hyatt Washington

For additional events, click here.
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