Nov 21, 2022
NCQA has recently evaluated their Patient Centered Medical Home and Specialty Practice recognition programs. After the review, they are making some significant changes to both programs, as shared below:
- Beginning in 2024, PCMH and PCSP practices will be required to use an electronic health record (EHR).
- Beginning in 2024, standardized measures will be required for PCMH (reporting period 1.1.23 – 12.31.23).
- Some standardized measures may pose challenges to some, so NCQA will allow organizations to submit a request for custom measure(s).
- Organizations will also be allowed to submit a request for exceptions to calendar year reporting on a case-by-case basis.
Contact us at Kentucky REC with your questions about practice transformation. Our team of experts is here to help: 859-323-3090.
Sep 16, 2019

WHAT IS IT?
The Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (KDPCP) at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) recently received a multi-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve diabetes clinical outcomes. Through the grant, the state of Kentucky has chosen to focus on the implementation of a robust Diabetes Clinical Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative (DLC). We have one space left for a motivated practice. The FINAL DEADLINE to join is Monday, September 23rd.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Contact us at 859-323-3090 or email Kentucky REC.
The Basics:
- 12 month Learning Collaborative
- Health care organizations learn from each other and experts in the field
- Participants will undertake small tests of change to reach self-identified objectives within their own organizations
Focus: Health care organizations will make “breakthrough” increases in the adoption and use of clinical systems and care practices to improve health outcomes in people with diabetes
WHY PARTICIPATE?
Health Care Systems/Clinical Practices can improve clinical outcomes for your patients and practice. This learning collaborative can contribute to and augment your other quality improvement programs and initiatives to improve healthcare, reduce cost, and move to value based care.
HOW CAN I JOIN?
1. Requirements: practice established for at least one year; minimum two full time employees; have at least 100 adult patients with diabetes diagnosis
2. Complete an application
3. One year commitment
SUPPORT PARTNERS
The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) serves as the lead agency for facilitation of the CDC grant.
The KY Regional Extension Center (KY REC) serves as the lead agency for the pilot and will facilitate meetings and serve as expert consultant in electronic health record workflow.
The Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE) serves as an important partner to set up LHDs and YMCA with CareAlign DSM accounts/mailboxes to support bi-directional exchange of secure patient health information with select practices.
Questions? Contact us at 859-323-3090 or Kentucky REC.
More details can be found here.
Application can be accessed here.
Sep 6, 2019
UK Healthcare’s Kentucky Regional Extension Center, the Kentucky Department of Public Health, and the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program are pleased to announce chosen practices to participate in the year-long Kentucky Diabetes Learning Collaborative (DLC) funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grant focus is to improve diabetes clinical outcomes.
Selected participants are:
• Bluegrass Medical Care in Bowling Green, Kentucky
• KentuckyCare in Paducah, Kentucky
• One Cross Medical Clinic in Campbellsville, Kentucky
• Pennyroyal Healthcare Services dba Community Medical Clinic in Princeton, Kentucky
• Sterling Health Care in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky
• TJ Regional Health in Glasgow, Kentucky
• Regional Health Care Affiliates dba Health First Community Health in Providence, Kentucky
These practices represent 27 health care locations, 85 health care providers, and 7,856 patients with diabetes.
The goal of the Diabetes Learning Collaborative will be to assist health care organizations in making “breakthrough” increases in the adoption and use of clinical systems and care practices to improve health outcomes in people with diabetes.
Targeted clinical outcomes will include improvement in glycemic and blood pressure control. Targeted clinical system changes will include clinical decision support within the electronic health record (EHR) for Diabetes Self-management Education and Support (DSMES) referral, the establishment of bi-directional referral processes with DSMES providers, and other evidence-based care practices. Clinical participants will track referrals for DSMES, A1C and blood pressure values, and other clinical measures selected by participating practices.
The structure for this collaborative learning will be based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Breakthrough Series. At the heart of this approach are three models. The Learning Model makes participating practices part of a network of experts and fellow-learners. The Chronic Care Model, (developed by Ed Wagner MD, MPH, and former Director of the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation), outlines all the elements of good chronic care. The Model for Improvement enables teams to rapidly test and implement changes to improve care.
Starting in October 2019, participants will join in conference calls, in person meetings, peer site visits, hands on technical assistance, and webinars with experts and other organizations in the collaborative.
Please join us in congratulating these practices for being selected to participate in this innovative project to improve the health of Kentucky residents.