NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home™ standards emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician partnership
Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized each of the medical facilities at Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). This is the highest level of recognition possible and Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) is the only organization in our community to receive this designation across all of its primary care medical clinic sites, which includes Isla Vista Neighborhood Clinic, Eastside Neighborhood Clinic, Westside Neighborhood Clinic and Goleta Neighborhood Clinic.
“Receiving this top honor is a testament to the quality of care provided by the clinics since their inception, over 40 years ago, “said Dr. Charles Fenzi Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of SBNC. “The goal has always been to engage and support patients, so the patient is the focal point for the team based approach to health and wellness.”
The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal care teams, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.
“NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”
To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established jointly by the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.
About SBNC: SBNC serves over 20,000 individuals each year, which is approximately one in ten people in our community. SBNC provides integrated medical, dental and behavioral health services across 6 permanent locations and 10 satellite locations across Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista. SBNC is an independent community health center that receives funding as a Federally Qualified Health Center. More information can be found at www.sbclinics.org.
About NCQA: NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.