Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/21/2020 --All 81 of the Intermountain Medical Group family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatric clinics in Utah have received Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The recognition shows Intermountain clinics meet the nation's highest standards for primary care delivery and signifies three years-worth of work to improve patient care.
"The PCMH model focuses on our patients' overall health, closing care gaps, helping those with complex chronic conditions, providing coordinated high-quality care, and access to that care when and how patients want it," said Shauri Kagie, RN, clinical manager at Intermountain Medical Group, who helped lead the project.
"Earning this recognition helped us start the important work of addressing all aspects of patients' health including the health disparities and inequities that are present in healthcare," she added.
Caregivers and providers from all 81 clinics have worked since late 2017 to meet the PCMH criteria, which meant multiple system-standard processes had to be implemented and the clinics had to demonstrate they were following the processes.
Some initiatives Intermountain implemented to earn the recognition:
- Administering a regular comprehensive health assessment to all patients that includes assessment of their social functioning, social support, and social determinants of health.
- Launching centralized after-hours phone coverage, using Health Answers, which is staffed with experienced registered nurses.
- Asking patients when they prefer to be seen and by what method — including phone calls and video visits
The changes Intermountain implemented to receive PCMH recognition mean these benefits for patients:
- Lower cost of care
- Easier to get appointments
- Access to clinical advice 24/7 through a centralized phone number
- Mental health integration within primary care
- A referral tracking system to connect patients with specialty-care needs
- Improved patient outcomes and satisfaction
One example of how the patient-centered model helps patients is shared by Jen Willden, pediatrics and OB/Gyn practice director at Intermountain Southridge Clinic.
"Our care guide reached out to the mom of one our pediatric patients. After talking with the mom, the care guide noted the mom had signs and symptoms of depression. The care guide helped get the mom in to see a doctor within two days. The mom had no idea Intermountain had so many resources to help with depression," said Willden.
About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs. For more information, see intermountainhealthcare.org.
