PHC – Bellingham Family Medicine is working toward Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition is the most widely used way to transform primary care practices into medical homes.
According to the NCQA, a PCMH inspires quality in care, cultivates more engaging patient relationships, and captures savings through expanded access and delivery options that align patient preferences with payer and provider capabilities.
Located in Statesville, North Carolina, Bellingham Family Medicine offers complete primary care services for all ages. As a part of the PCMH transformation process, Daniel Bellingham, MD, and the entire staff at PHC – Bellingham Family Medicine identified and implemented several quality improvement projects over the past several months including:
-
• Decrease in number of diabetic patients with an A1C greater than 9 – from 6% to 5%.
• Decrease in number of patients who need Zostavax immunizations – improved scores by 24%.
• Decrease in number of patients who need Pneumonia immunizations – improved scores by 15%.
• Decrease in number of diabetic patients who needed an A1C drawn– improved scores by 9%.
• Decrease in the number of patients who are overdue for their Annual Wellness Visit – improved scores by 39% .
• Decreased less than 30 day hospital readmissions from 7% to 6%, falling well below the industry benchmark of 10%.
• Implemented a campaign for women who are overdue for their mammogram- improving scores by 55%
• Focused outreach and education for patients who have uncontrolled blood pressure. Improved scores from 4% to 3% of the patients with hypertension having an uncontrolled blood pressure.
• Focused on cost reduction, by making generic medications available to patients increasing the number of generic prescriptions from 79% to 82%.
• Opened up daily same day appointment slots, to allow patients to get appointments in a timely manner.
• Implemented a Care Coordination department staffed with nurses and a clinical team. Their role is to reach out to patients by phone in-between their visits to the office, working with patients to help them meet their health goals (lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, increasing exercise, weight loss, etc.).
• Conducted patient satisfaction survey to learn best what patients would like to see improved within the practice
