With the success of the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition program by the National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the non-profit group is reinforcing the importance of strong connections between primary and specialty care and care coordination by launching a recognition program for specialty practices engaged in the patient-centered model.

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 21, NCQA will host a webinar to debut the new program. For more information and to register, click here.

The new program will recognize specialty practices that have successfully coordinated care with their primary care colleagues and each other and that meet the goals of providing timely access to care and continuous quality improvement. The program also will address reducing the duplication of tests, measuring performance and improving communication with patients.

The PCMH model is at the heart of the new standards and guidelines for Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Accreditation, according to NCQA. The program provides a roadmap for provider-led organizations to demonstrate reduced cost, improved quality and enhanced patient experience. The expectation is that specialty practices within an ACO must be held to the same patient-centered care provided by primary care practices. Standards for specialty practices support this aim.