10 Kentucky Healthcare Provider Organizations have joined the Kentucky REC Inaugural Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Cohort to transform patient care in Kentucky.

On Friday, January 24, Kentucky Regional Extension Center hosted the Inaugural Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Cohort Kick-Off Meeting for 10 pioneer healthcare provider organizations in Kentucky.

Cohort members include: UK Family and Community Medicine; UK HealthCare-Georgetown; Family Medicine Clinic of Danville; Van Bussum Family Practice; Physicians Affiliated Care; Bluegrass Community Family Practice; Central Internal Medicine; Georgetown Pediatrics; Drs. Borders and Associates; and Primary Care Centers of Eastern Kentucky.

Kentucky REC will assist these practices in achieving National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) PCMH Recognition within a 15 month period. The Patient-Centered Medical Home is a way of organizing primary care that emphasizes care coordination and communication to transform primary care into “what patients want it to be.” Medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patients’ and providers’ experience of care. NCQA PCMH Recognition is the most widely-used way to transform primary care practices into medical homes.

“We are delighted to offer support to practices as they prepare for the many changes ahead in healthcare,” stated Carol Steltenkamp, MD, Director of Kentucky REC and Chief Medical Information Officer for UK HealthCare. “We are excited to announce new services to support innovative models, such as Patient-Centered Medical Home, that are proven to help practices deliver coordinated, cost-effective care for their patients.”

Kentucky REC has helped healthcare providers across the state implement electronic health records and qualify for federal incentive funds. However, electronic health records are just a start. Now, the REC is focused on helping practices prepare for the next wave of innovation by using technology together with changes in practice culture and workflow to radically improve patients’ experience of care and the effectiveness of the healthcare system overall.

Kentucky practices interested in learning more about this new initiative can contact the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090.

Keynote Speaker, Dr. Mark Fraser, MD of Summit Family Physicians, a Level 3 NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home and Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative practice, shares his experience and provides a “Physician Perspective” to Cohort members.

Kentucky and Tri-State REC Collaborate on a New Practice Transformation Initiative 

Practice Transformation Seminar Helps Practices Understand New Models for Health Care

 The Kentucky and Tri-State Regional Extension Centers announced a new initiative to help physician practices and clinics in Kentucky achieve better health, better outcomes and lower costs for patients. 

“We are delighted to offer support to practices as they prepare for the many changes ahead in health care,” stated Rob Edwards, executive director of the Kentucky REC. “We are excited to announce new services to support innovative models, such as patient centered medical home, that are proven to help practices deliver coordinated, cost-effective care for their patients.”

 The Kentucky and Tri-State RECs held a kickoff event in Lexington for 30 practices interested in learning about new models to improve health care. The seminar served as an introduction to practice transformation, the idea that practices can integrate quality improvement methods with meaningful use of technology, patient-centered care and payment innovation to dramatically improve health care quality, outcomes and cost.

 At the event, the RECs also released a “Practice Transformation Road Map.” This publication is a user-friendly guide for practices interested in participating in practice transformation initiatives. The Road Map contains background, case studies and exercises for practices interested in pursuing such innovative new care delivery and payment models such as Accountable Care Organizations or Patient Centered Medical Home.

“Our organizations have helped hundreds of providers implement electronic health records and qualify for federal incentive funds. But electronic health records are just a start,” stated Dr. Richard Shonk, Chief Medical Officer for the Tri-State REC and the Health Collaborative, partners with the Kentucky REC on this initiative. “We now want to help practices prepare for the next wave of innovation by using technology together with changes in practice culture and work flow to radically improve patients’ experience of care and the effectiveness of the health care system overall.”

 Both RECs will offer individualized coaching services, group seminars and staff training to help practices that want to prepare for and implement new models for delivering and paying for health care. In particular, the RECs have certified practice coaches that can assist practices pursuing recognition as a patient centered medical home. 

 Kentucky practices interested in learning more about this new initiative can contact the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090. Practices in the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State region can contact the Tri-State REC at 513-469-7222.

Pictured Above: Keynote Speaker, Dr. Robert Graham, Director of the National Program Office for Aligning  Forces for Quality (AF4Q) and Research Professor of Health Policy at George Washington University.

Event materials available at the Practice Transformation Event Page.