Month in Review: Love is Patient(s) | National Briefing Today!
Love is Patient(s)
Thursday, Feburary 27th
Dear Members & Friends:

Putting patients at the heart of the medical home is a fitting February theme. The active involvement of patients and their families in care delivery not only improves the quality and safety of health care, but also lowers costs while increasing provider and patient satisfaction. Patient-centeredness is a critical component of the medical home, and cannot be achieved without including patients at every level of care delivery. 

But putting patients first is still a work in progress. In an article published this week by JAMA, early results from Pennsylvania's multi-payer medical home pilot suggested limited improvements in quality and no reductions in utilization or cost. As noted in PCPCC's response to the evaluation, several key features of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) were missing from this early snapshot, including measures related to patient engagement, satisfaction, and activation as well as integration of behavioral and mental health. As the medical home model of care evolves in light of the scientific evidence, we must not lose sight of measuring what patients and their families care about most – and PCMH recognition/certification programs should reflect this. The pilot is an opportunity to learn about what works and the JAMA study should be viewed in context, as one study among many. You can find results from 20 recent studies in our  2014 Annual Report. Another thoughtful perspective on the subject can be found in The Commonwealth Fund's Melinda Abrams' blog.

One important means to engage patients and improve outcomes can be found through community health worker/peer support programs. We hope you'll join us for our Monthly National Briefing today: Integrating Peer Support in Primary Care where Edwin B. Fisher, PhD, Global Director of Peers for Progress and Leticia Ibarra, MPH, Director of Programs at Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, Inc., will discuss how peer support can enhance primary care, chronic disease management, behavioral health and more.

* As a reminder, our National Briefings now take place via webinar and require registration. 

National Briefing Information:
February, 27 | 1PM ET - 2PM ET
Register (for free!) here.
Download presentation slides here.
New JAMA article reports positive peer support outcomes.

We look forward to having you join us today!

Sincerely,


Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
This Month in Medical Home News....
Newspapers & Press
Obama Budget Will Seek Record Funding for New Doctors, USA Today, 2/27/2014
Study Finds Limited Benefits to Some 'Medical Homes', The New York Times, 2/25/2014
The Doctor's Team Will See You Now, Wall Street Journal, 2/17/2014
The Patient-Friendly ER: From Hello to Goodbye, MedPage Today, 2/13/2014
Hill Plan Would Reward Medicare Doctors for Quality, Kaiser Health News, 2/7/2014

Peer Review
Association Between Participation in a Multipayer Medical Home Intervention and Changes in Quality, Utilization, and Costs of Care, JAMA, 2/26/2014
Community Health Worker Integration Into the Health Care Team Accomplishes the Triple Aim in a Patient-Centered Medical Home: A Bronx Tale, Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 2/2014* Subscription Required
Hypertensive Patient's Specialty Use Changed with Medical Home, Medical Xpress, 2/3/2014
Partial and Incremental PCMH Practice Transformation: Implications for Quality and Costs, Health Services Research, 2/2014* Subscription Required
Primary Care in the Age of Reform - Not a Time for Complacency, Family Medicine, 1/2014
Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation with Payment Reform: Patient Experience Outcomes, AJMC, 1/10/2014

Industry, Gov't & Nonprofit
Maine Shifts Health Focus to Community, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2/13/2014
Coordinated Care Organization Progress Data Shows Continued Reduction in Emergency Department Visits, Lower Costs, The Lund Report, 2/4/2014
Vermont Blueprint for Health, 2013 Annual Report, Department of Vermont Health Access, 1/3014
Report to the Minnesota Legislature: Evaluation of Health Care Homes: 2010-2012, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Human Services, University of Minnesota, 1/2014

PCPCC in the News
Revitalizing Primary Care Said Key to Success of Health Reform, Psychiatric News, 2/26/2014
Medical Homes May Not Be the Answer, MedPage Today, 2/25/2014
Patient-Centered Medical Homes Cut Care Costs, Doctors Lounge, 2/21/2014
Primary Care Medical Homes, What Are They and Are They Working: A Conversation with Marci Nielsen, The Healthcare Policy Podcast, 2/20/2014
Call to Action:
Support Medicare Reform
Please join the PCPCC as we urge Congress to repair the flawed US health care payment system, beginning with Medicare. The PCPCC has drafted this template letter requesting swift action on the  “SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014” and encouraging Congress to continue working together to pass this landmark legislation before March 31, which is when the current extension of the Medicare payment formula including SGR expires.

We encourage your organization to customize this letter and add your voice in support of Medicare payment reform, the medical home model of care and a health care delivery system that rewards quality, efficiency, and innovation.

Download the template here.
 
Training Database Open for New Submissions

The PCPCC is now accepting new submissions to its Patient Centered Primary Care Training Database. Led by PCPCC's Education & Training Task Force, the database includes 100+ health professional training programs that are supporting students, residents, clinicians and health professionals in their efforts to deliver primary care that is patient-centered, interprofessional and collaborative.

Access database and submit your program here.
In Case You Missed It:
Consumer Engagement & HIT
Our February webinar focused on the evolving role that consumers play in the health care marketplace and provided an overview of the Consumer eHealth Readiness Tool (CeRT). Access slides and listen to recording here. 
 
Upcoming PCPCC Conferences
Sixth Annual National Medical Home Summit
March 17-19, 2014  l  Philadelphia, PA
Co-hosted by PCPCC and the Thomas Jefferson University School of Population Health
Register with discount code "PCPCC" here.

Health Care Transformation:
Overcoming Challenges to Reach the Summit
June 9 - 10, 2014  |  Denver, CO
Register Today!
Early Bird Registration ends April 18th!




 
 
Patient-Centered Primary Care:
At the Heart of Value and Quality
November 12-14, 2014 | Washington, DC
Registration coming soon!
Learn more here.
 
Minnesota's Health Care Home Program Cuts Costs and Improves Quality
Last month, a Minnesota Department of Health report found that Minnesota's Health Care Home (HCH) Initiative resulted in lowered costs, improved quality, and reduced emergency department (ED) visits. Medicaid expenditures were 9.2% lower for patients who received care from the HCH program compared to enrollees in non-HCH clinics. 

The study also found that the quality of care provided in an HCH was higher than non-HCH clinics for most assessed quality measures, and that patients enrolled in an HCH visited the ED on average 6.7% less than non-HCH patients.

The study analyzed differences in cost, access, and quality/enrollee experience outcomes among patients enrolled in HCH certified and HCH eligible but non-certified clinics between July 2010 through December 2012.

Read the full study here. 
March Preview:
Behavioral Health Integration
Integrating behavioral health into primary care and medical home settings is critical to achieving the triple aim of improving the health care quality and outcomes while reducing costs. We hope you'll join the PCPCC during the month of March for learning events focused on the important topic of behavioral health. 

PCPCC's March National Briefing: Information Sharing between Behavioral Health and Primary Care
Thursday, March 27 | 12PM - 1PM ET*
*One Hour Earlier Registration coming soon!
Welcome New PCPCC Members!

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey provides a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services to more than 500,000 members. Horizon has a number of patient-centered programs, including PCMHs, ACOs and programs focused on Episodes of Care. (www.horizonblue.com)
 
The REACH Healthcare Foundation addresses the health care needs of medically indigent and underserved individuals in Kansas and Missouri. The REACH Foundation invests in health programs, capacity, advocacy and community collaboration to improve access and care quality. (www.reachhealth.org)
 
Upcoming Events
Feb 27 - March 27
Monthly National Briefing
February 27 | PCPCC

Fostering Partnerships and Teamwork in the Pediatric Medical Home
February 28 | NCMHA

EHRs to Support Comprehensive, Coordinated Primary Care
February 28 | AHRQ

National Medical Home Summit
March 17 - 19 | Thomas Jefferson University

March National Briefing
March 27 | PCPCC

Enhancing Care Partnership Support in the Pediatric Medical Home
Marci 27 | NCMHI

For additional events, click here.
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