By Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Case in Point Magazine and the Case Management Resource Guide

We have all heard the chatter about the Patient Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care Organizations. Last week I had the opportunity to attend a conference that showed that these two concepts are real and are spreading through the healthcare system as a way to improve the way healthcare is practiced and paid for in the United States.

The Patient Centered Medical Home Collaborative Work Group Meeting brought together stakeholders throughout the care continuum who have implemented the Medical Home and Accountable Care concepts into their systems and were able to report on the outcomes they achieved which were focused on improving quality and reducing costs. Presentations from large employer like Boeing and Whirlpool to the Department of Defense and the Veterans’ Administration to community organizations who have implanted Medical Home programs described their programs and the lessons they have learned.

The basic concepts for both the PCMH and ACO are helping organizations to create systems where care delivery is performed by a team of professionals led by the primary care physician and are held accountable for the care they provide.   As the name implies, the patient and the family are the major focus of the program. Engaging them into the process is key to the success.  The programs that have been successful have learned the importance of identifying patients at risk and developing a coordinated plan with the help of a multidisciplinary team to meet their needs.

To realize the potential that the medical home concept can bring to the healthcare system there has to be a concerted adoption and implementation of health information technology (HIT), a qualified workforce and an agreement on a plan to reform the reimbursement system. To meet these goals significant dollars from the Recovery Act and the Affordable Health Care Reform Act are being provided to universities and the private sector to revitalize the primary healthcare system and ensure tools are in place to provide the information healthcare professionals need to coordinate care successfully for consumers of healthcare services.

The two keynote speakers, Mary Wakefield from HRSA and Anthony D. Rodgers, Director of CMS Deputy Administrator for the Center for Strategic Planning,  shared the Obama Administration’s  commitment for encouraging programs that will provide access, improve quality and reduce cost. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is set up to allow organizations to test ideas and share that information that improve coordination, service and efficiency. Mr. Rodgers’ presentation explains the program so make sure you take time to review.

All members of the healthcare team should be paying attention as the concepts of the Patient Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care Organizations are becoming part of payers’ and providers’ systems and will touch us all. Here are some resources that can help you keep up to date and informed. Take the time to review and share with your colleagues.

The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative is an excellent resource that can help keep you up to date. Many of the presentations from the Patient Centered Medical Home Stakeholders Conference are available to review and I encourage each of you reading Case In Point Weekly to review the programs and share with your team.

In addition, the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research (AHRQ) launched the Patient Medical Home Website that provides objective information for health care professionals, policymakers and researchers on the medical home.

As organizations and physicians implement the concepts of the Patient Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care Organization, opportunities will open up for case management professionals and others who understand the concepts of care coordination. To keep you informed and up to date, the Dorland Health editorial team will continue to follow and present information that you can use in your organization or find new opportunities that will expand your professional growth.

Have a great week.