LSU BMC Outpatient Clinic Receives NCQA Recognition

Baton Rouge (May 19, 2009) – The LSU Bogalusa Medical Center (BMC) Memphis Street Outpatient Clinic has received Level 1 recognition status as a Physician Practice Connections—Patient Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The clinic has met rigorous NCQA requirements to receive this recognition.  This point of care provides ongoing preventive and early intervention health care to patients and coordinates specialized care with the LSU Bogalusa Medical Center when patients require it.

The LSU Bogalusa Medical Center deserves congratulations for this accomplishment,” said Dr. Michael K. Butler, LSU Health Care Services Division CEO.  “LSU BMC is providing care that meets the high standards that are endorsed by the preeminent specialty organizations in the nation.”
           
The NCQA standards for receiving this recognition are aligned with the joint principles of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), which define the key characteristics of the patient-centered medical home.

NCQA worked closely with the four medical specialty organizations and other interested stakeholders to develop the PPC-PCMH, and the specialty societies have supported the standards as the tools to use to recognize practices as medical homes in demonstration projects around the country.  The medical home strengthens the patient-physician relationship by replacing episodic care with coordinated care and a long-term healing relationship.

“The LSU Bogalusa Medical Center is continually striving to provide the best possible health care for our community.  NCQA recognition shows how these efforts are paying off—and our patients really notice the difference,” said Kurt Scott, LSU BMC hospital administrator.

The AAFP, AAP, ACP, and AOA have defined the medical home as a model of care in which each patient has an ongoing relationship with a personal physician who leads a team that takes collective responsibility for patient care. The physician-led care team is responsible for providing all the patient’s health care needs and, when needed, coordinating care across the health care system.  

A medical home also emphasizes enhanced care through open scheduling, expanded hours and communication between patients, physicians and staff. Many large health plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, are planning demonstration projects to learn more about how practices can become medical homes and the quality and cost advantages of doing so.
PPC-PCMH includes nine standards for medical practices to meet, including use of patient self-management support, care coordination, evidence-based guidelines for chronic conditions, and performance reporting and improvement. 
To be recognized as a patient-centered medical home, practices need to demonstrate the ability to sufficiently meet the criteria of these standards (i.e., achieve a minimum of 25 points out of 100 to attain the first of three levels of recognition) and specifically pass at least five of the following 10 elements:

• Written standards for patient access and patient communication
• Use of data to show standards for patient access and communication are    met
• Use of paper or electronic charting tools to organize clinical information
• Use of data to identify important diagnoses and conditions in practice
• Adoption and implementation of evidence-based guidelines for three    chronic conditions
• Active patient self-management support
• Systematic tracking of test results and identification of abnormal results
• Referral tracking, using a paper or electronic system
• Clinical and/or service performance measurement, by physician or across the practice
• Performance reporting, by physician or across the practice.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical areas. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. 

The LSU Health System - Health Care Services Division is one of the largest public health care delivery systems in the country.  It has over 35,000 inpatient admissions, nearly 196,000 inpatient days, 515,500 outpatient clinic visits, 894,000 outpatient encounters, and nearly 244,000 emergency department visits.  Each year nearly 500 residents and fellows from the LSU and Tulane Schools of Medicine and Ochsner Health System and 2,200 nurses and allied health students from many colleges and universities are trained in LSU facilities.

LSU is the largest single provider of uncompensated inpatient care in Louisiana.  LSU HCSD hospitals have an economic impact of over $1.4 billion in asset business activity, $568 million in personal earnings, and generate over 12,000 jobs.

For more information, contact Marvin McGraw, Director of Communications and Media Relations, LSU Health Care Services Division, 225.922.1424 or mmcgra@lsuhsc.edu.