Naval Health Clinic Charleston receives NCQA level 3 recognition for Patient Centered Medical Home

News Release, Naval Health Clinic Charleston:

GOOSE CREEK, S.C.  - Naval Health Clinic Charleston (NHCC) announced today that it has been awarded Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).  This is the highest level of recognition a healthcare facility can receive from NCQA.  NHCC is the only Department of Defense healthcare facility in the region to receive such distinction and one of only two Navy ambulatory clinics in the world to receive the honor.

NHCC is also the only facility in the Navy recognized by NCQA for using an Integrated Medical Home Model.  This means primary care providers from multiple disciplines are providing care across the age spectrum - all on the same Medical Home team.

Patient Centered Medical Home is a model of care that seeks to strengthen physician-patient interaction with collaborative care and a long-term healing relationship. This coordinated approach is lead by a patient's primary care provider, but also requires the skills and knowledge of a team of health care professionals from nurses and nutritionists to Navy corpsmen and pharmacists. The delivery of care is facilitated by information technology, electronic health records, and system-best practices to assure patients receive care when and where they need it, and when and where they want it. The model encourages measurable quality and prevention by focusing on outcomes rather than volume. Research shows that integrated care is capable of improving clinical outcomes, expanding access to care outside of the usual office setting, improving patient and staff satisfaction, and reducing health care costs.

"The patient centered medical home model promises to improve health and health care," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "The active, ongoing relationship between the patient and a physician in medical homes fosters an all-too-rare goal in care: staying healthy and preventing illness in the first place. This recognition shows that Naval Health Clinic Charleston has tools, systems and resources in place to provide their patients with the right care at the right time."

"We have been working on refining the Patient Centered Medical Home model for the past few years by developing new standards and protocols for use within the organization, said CAPT Mary Kim Kenney-Gutshall, NHCC Commanding Officer. "Change brings opportunity, and in the case of Patient Centered Medical Home - this change brings the opportunity for better patient and family centered care.  The bottom line is that this is a better way to operate because it provides better outcomes for our patients and we are honored to receive recognition for our efforts from NCQA."

To receive Level 3 recognition, which is valid for three years and is the highest recognition possible, NHCC demonstrated the ability to meet the program's key criteria embodying characteristics of the medical home. The standards are aligned with the joint principles of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.

"We are extremely excited and pleased to have received this recognition, said CDR Patrick Gover, former NHCC Chief of Medical Staff and current NHCC Medical Home Lead Physician. "The NHCC team has worked hard for the past two years to redesign how we deliver care. With these ongoing changes, we believe it is important for us to lead the way in providing high quality outcomes while lowering the overall cost of care."