Hundreds of thousands of community health patients in South Florida will benefit from a Health Foundation of South Florida $100,000 grant to establish a Center of Excellence for Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH). The medical home model of care strengthens the physician-patient bond by replacing episodic care with a coordinated, long-term relationship focused on preventive health care and healing. It has emerged as a promising health system alternative to the nation’s costly and fragmented care delivery system.
Nine Miami Dade and Broward community health centers that serve more than 200,000 patients will be involved in the effort to become nationally designated as Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
“This is a significant and promising step for South Florida health centers,” said Kevin Kearns President and CEO of Health Choice Network of Florida (HCNFL), where the Center of Excellence will be located. “Already known for practicing on the latest electronic health record systems and for their high level of care in medically underserved communities, local health centers are a natural fit for the medical home model. We look forward to national designation.”
The Center of Excellence will provide technical assistance to community health centers and primary care practices in achieving NCQA Medical Home recognition. It is anticipated that 23 primary care practices operated by the nine community health centers in the effort will achieve Level II or III recognition by the end of the year.
The community health centers are Community Health of South Dade, Helen B. Bentley Community Health Center, Miami Beach Community Health Center, Borinquen Health Center, Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Citrus Health Network, Institute for Child and Family Health, Camillus Health Concern and Broward Family and Community Health Centers.
