Community Health Centers (CHC) are on the leading edge of health care innovation in implementing the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model. The basic mission of a medical home is to provide comprehensive primary care. Clinics that are PCMHs build a close partnership between patients and a team of clinicians to provide comprehensive and continuous medical care while maximizing health outcomes. This model ensures that patients aren’t left alone to navigate the increasingly complex health care systems and that they receive the care that’s most appropriate to their individual needs. Medical homes ensure that the activities within the clinic are focused on meeting patient needs first.
Through the medical home model, clinics seek to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the care they deliver. PCMHs do this through access to a personal physician who leads a care team (including nurses, nutritionists, specialists, and other health professionals), integrated and coordinated care, and a focus on quality and safety.
Research has shown that people with a medical home have a 21% less chance of having problems with care coordination, 18% fewer hospital admissions, and 33% lower health care costs. Further, patients with a medical home have 19% lower odds of dying than those who only see a specialist. In addition, those who work in medical homes report having significantly higher rates of job satisfaction compared to those that don’t.
Doctors working in medical homes are not paid for providing the most care, but for providing the most appropriate care. This includes spending more time with patients to help them make decisions about their treatment, following up with them after they’ve left the hospital, and overseeing the care received from other providers.
Patient Centered Medical Homes are at the forefront in our changing health care landscape. Colorado CHCs are leading the way in implementing this integrated and effective care model. Working for a Colorado CHC places you on the front lines of this innovation and drive towards patient centered care.
Learn more about the patient centered care home model, here, and current openings at CHCs in Colorado, here.
