58 Centers in Basset Network Receive NY State Awards

Fifty eight primary care, pediatric and school-based health centers in the Bassett Healthcare Network have been awarded Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition under the New York State Patient-Centered Medical Home Program (NYS PCMH), which aims to achieve better health care, a better patient experience and lower cost.

“This is great news for our patients and the teams of clinicians, nurses and other staff that work hard to achieve and maintain the level of data-driven improvement in specific quality measures, efficiency and patient experience,” notes Network Chief Clinical Officer Steven Heneghan, MD. “What it means for patients is an even better care experience, improved outcomes, as well as the opportunity to become more actively involved in their own care.”

The NYS PCMH program was developed in 2018 by the NYS Department of Health in collaboration with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the original creator of the PCMH program.

Of the 58 health centers in the Bassett Healthcare Network that achieved NYS PCMH recognition, 19 are school-based health centers (SBHC). Bassett’s SBHCs are believed to be the only group of SBHC’s in New York State to be awarded PCMH status.

The PCMH program uses a clinician-led team approach that takes collective responsibility for each patient’s care. The emphasis is on continuous, comprehensive care that includes preventive care and the coordination of care for people with chronic conditions. Whereas primary care used to be episodic care, based on patient illness, the medical home model replaces that approach with coordinated care over the patient’s lifetime. Patients are engaged in their own health through setting wellness goals, detailed after visit summaries, and expanded communication options, including MyBassett, an electronic patient portal that allows patients to get test results quickly, make or request appointments, renew medications, and ask questions of their health care team.

Research shows that PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction—while reducing health care costs.