Roxboro Family Medicine & Immediate Care achieved a major milestone when it officially became a certified Patient Centered Medical Home (2008 Level 3) on February 16, 2012. Even though the practice had been operating as a PCMH for a year, it wasn’t until the final weeks of 2011 that it was able to complete the PCMH2008 survey requirements for official recognition.

“Starting just after Thanksgiving, we worked about 120 hours per week for the three weeks leading up to our submission date,” practice co-owner Elizabeth Riley, MHS, PA-C, said. “In addition to our staff, we received tremendous help from Terri Gonzalez, Practice Technical Coordinator at the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation, and Denise Kirkman, President, P4P Consultants, a Cary-based company that helps practices meet the requirements for health care reform physician incentive programs. There was just no way to accomplish this without their help.”

The PCMH designation is a result of the Obama Administration’s health care reform law. It establishes requirements and standards for physicians and their practices as they incorporate Electronic Medical Records and utilize health information technology to meet what is known as “meaningful use.”

“As a patient centered medical home, we provide all-encompassing care for patients, starting with their initial visit and including referrals, lab work and other services,” Riley said. “It’s helpful for the patient because it makes us a better practice and provides a better outcome for the patient.”

Mrs. Riley recently completed the Community Practitioner Program, which is directed by the NCMS Foundation. The CPP helps to recruit and support physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in medically underserved communities. Taineisha Bolden, MD, and Tami Lee, PA-C, both providers at Roxboro Family Medicine, are currently participating in the CPP.