KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

Want to be PCMH recognized but don’t have the resources?

Want to be PCMH recognized but don’t have the resources?

Graphic with three figures suggesting clinician and patient under a house shape with letters PCMH in bold suggesting the patient centered medical home program. Health Center Individualized Technical Assistance Program for PCMH Recognition

The Health Center Individualized Technical Assistance (TA) Program, funded by HRSA, offers personalized one-on-one support to HRSA-supported health centers and Look-Alikes that are not yet Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognized, but are ready to pursue this important credential. Through this program, health centers receive individualized guidance from NCQA PCMH Certified Content Experts (CCEs) to help navigate PCMH requirements and successfully achieve Recognition. CCEs are supported by HRSA funding for their work with participating centers.

According to NCQA, Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition research shows this program improves quality and patient experience, and increases staff satisfaction, while reducing health care costs. It can also prepare your organization for building the foundation for Value-Based Care. The NCQA PCMH program is the most widely adopted program in the United States and has more than 10,000 recognized practices.

Who Is Eligible?

Health centers must:

  • Be HRSA-supported or a Look-Alike
  • Not currently hold PCMH Recognition
  • Be prepared to begin the program within 45 days of approval

Participating centers are required to:

  • Submit an Interest Form to NCQA
  • Obtain an approved HRSA Notice of Intent (NOI)
  • Select a Certified Content Expert (CCE)

If your health center chooses to participate and is approved, then you may select a PCMH Certified Content Expert (CCE) of your choice to assist during the recognition process.

The PCMH Certified Content Expert (CCE) Will Provide These Support Services:

  • Clarify PCMH requirements
  • Conduct self-assessments and gap analyses
  • Develop an actionable plan for meeting PCMH standards
  • Support enrollment and milestone completion
  • Guide centers through NCQA tools and processes
  • Help achieve and celebrate PCMH Recognition

The Kentucky REC’s PCMH Team Lead, Vance Drakeford, may be selected as the CCE from the available options. Vance has assisted over 50 healthcare organizations, including FQHC’s to achieve PCMH recognition.

Take the next step in improving services to your patients as well as employee satisfaction!

Questions? For more information on how to begin this process, or further details, contact YOUR experts by email at KYRec@uky.edu or call us at 859-323-3090. We’re here to help.

2025 Quality Payment Program Attestation Period Open

Photo of a clinician and patient looking at each other with text in foreground: Quality Payment Program and link to website listed qpp.cms.govCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently opened the Quality Payment Program (QPP) data submission portal for the 2025 performance period. The portal will remain open until 8 pm ET Tuesday, March 31st, 2026.

Check out the mini video at the bottom of this blog post for a brief overview of what you need to do. 

Eligible Clinicians must submit data for three of the four categories for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Program (MIPS) to earn anywhere between a negative or positive 9% payment adjustment impacting Medicare Part B payments in calendar year 2027. If a clinician is eligible and submits no data, they will automatically receive a negative 9% payment adjustment.

Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants may submit data through the QPP Portal during this window.

Clinicians or their designee should verify that access to the organization’s QPP Portal is active and up to date. Users without a log-in to this portal will need to request access through the HCQIS Authorization Roles and Profile (HARP) system prior to submission by following the link here: https://qtso.cms.gov/access-forms/harp-account-registration

Data submission for each of the categories requires different time periods for data collection:

  • Promoting Interoperability: minimum 180 consecutive days
  • Improvement Activities: minimum 90 consecutive days
  • Quality: full calendar year
  • Cost: No submission, full calendar year from claims

Clinicians may use various methods for submitting data to each category:

  • self-attestation
  • uploading of QRDA-III or JSON files
  • using a certified third-party registry

Each of these methods have specific rules that govern their use. Clinicians are encouraged to review those methods before attempting to attest.

Our advisors strongly recommend submitting data well in advance of the deadline to allow time for data validation or necessary updates within the QPP portal system.

In the coming weeks, the Kentucky REC advisors will be contacting clients to assist with data finalization, reviewing attestation checklists, and gathering audit support materials.

Not a client? Contact YOUR Experts at the Kentucky REC for all your QPP & APM questions. We’re here to help. Call us at 859-323-3090

QPP Webinar Dec 16: CMS 2026 Final Rule

QPP 2026 PFS & QPP Final Rule*
Webinar Date: December 16, 2025 @12pm

CMS released the highly anticipated 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule on Nov 3rd — and the changes are significant.

From new Quality Payment Program (QPP) requirements to critical updates impacting MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs), eligible clinicians will see meaningful shifts in reporting, participation, and performance expectations.

One of the most notable updates is the introduction of the new Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM)—inclusion of specialists in outpatient and ambulatory care settings. ASM is designed to expand value-based care opportunities, improve quality measurement alignment for specialists, and offer new pathways to succeed in advanced payment arrangements.

OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS WILL WALK YOU THROUGH:
• Key QPP updates
every organization must understand
What’s changing within MVPs and APM participation
• How the Ambulatory Specialty Model will affect specialists and reporting options
Action steps to prepare for 2026

Interested in learning more about QPP, attend upcoming webinars, or learn how our advisors can assist your practice in maximizing performance in the QPP or other value-based care programs? As a client, you receive exclusive access to our analysis of all aspects of the Quality Payment Program. To speak with the team on how we can best support you, feel free to contact us HERE.

*This webinar is for Kentucky REC contracted QPP clients only. If you are interested in this topic and would like to learn more about becoming a client, please contact us at (859) 323-3090 or email us at KYRec@uky.edu. We aim to be your trusted healthcare advisor!

Kentucky REC Annual Conference Oct 23 2025: Dr Tama Thé – The Promise of AI for Kentucky Healthcare

Hybrid Event with Special Guest Speakers – In Person and Online

Oct. 23 2025, Lexington Kentucky, The Campbell House

Trudi Matthews

Dreams of Data—The Promise of AI for Kentucky Healthcare

Speaker: Dr Tama Thé, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Emergency Medicine, UK HealthCare 

Artificial intelligence is transforming medicine around the world. How can we make sure that Kentucky doesn’t get left behind? This presentation explores how we can harness AI to build a smarter, more connected healthcare system. We’ll look at how AI can improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce documentation burdens, and help address the physician shortage. We will highlight some of the innovative projects underway at UK HealthCare and get a peek of the broader vision driving the next wave of healthcare transformation.

Dr Tama Thé, MD

Tama Thé specializes in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and is an AI Research fellow with the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is leading AI initiatives both in healthcare at UKHC and across the state, as well as on the main campus at UK, and is the founder of the AI Incubator at the UK College of Medicine.

Questions? Contact us at Kentucky REC or call us at 859-323-3090.

Free Tobacco Cessation Referral Program for Providers — Limited Enrollment

A Healthier Kentucky Starts Here: Enroll in the Free Tobacco Cessation Referral Program

The Kentucky REC is partnering with the Kentucky Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program to help providers connect their patients to free, evidence-based support to help them quit using tobacco. Through this partnership, Kentucky REC will assist clinicians in setting up electronic referrals to National Jewish Health (NJH) — the nation’s leading tobacco cessation program. There will be no cost to providers, and no interface connection is required. Your EHR simply needs to allow the addition of direct mail addresses.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Our team will guide participating organizations through every step, integrating the e-referral process into clinical workflows and providing monthly check-ins to:

  • Confirm electronic messages are successfully received by NJH
  • Strengthen workflows to improve referral rates and efficiency
  • Troubleshoot when referrals aren’t being completed or returned

This is a grant-sponsored opportunity, and participation is limited to the first four enrolled organizations.

Interested? Need more information? Contact us! Spaces will fill quickly.