Telluride Med Center: Highest National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care

17 Aug Telluride Med Center: Highest National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently announced that the Telluride Regional Medical Center received a NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term, participative relationships.

The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care, and reduce costs.

Medical homes, like the Telluride Regional Medical Center, foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system.

The Telluride Regional Medical Center achieved Level III certification, the highest recognition offered. According to John Gardner, Telluride Regional Medical Center CEO, many first time applicants only achieve level I or II.

“It’s really a wonderful testament to the quality of care we provide and the commitment our team has for our community,” said Gardner. “This accomplishment is the result of not only hard-work, but a thoughtful and thorough approach to care.”

According to NCQA, research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.

“NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology, and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that the Telluride Regional Medical Center has the tools, systems, and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”

To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, the Telluride Regional Medical Center demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home.

NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association.

About Telluride Regional Medical Center:

Telluride Regional Medical Center provides the highest quality, comprehensive Primary Care and exceptional Emergency / Trauma Services. Since 1978 the medical center has evolved, wherever possible, right along with complex healthcare technologies and population growth, while remaining within the 10,000-square-foot remodeled residential building built in the 1960s. Currently the Telluride Hospital District is working towards building a new facility in Mountain Village which will serve the needs of the Telluride region today, tomorrow, and 50 years into the future.

About NCQA:

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.