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You Are Cordially Invited: Patient Centered Medical Home

Posted over 13 years ago by Elaine Crain

The Maryland Health Care Commission is launching a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Pilot program in Maryland. The PCMH is an exciting new way to practice primary care medicine that is gaining traction throughout the country. This model is designed to improve primary care practice by fostering a practitioner-lead team approach to delivering high quality medicine to patients that are actively engaged in their care. Enhanced care coordination provided by members of the patient’s care team is a key component of the PCMH model and leads to improved patient’s outcomes and lowers overall health care costs through reduced use of the emergency department and avoided unplanned hospital admissions and readmissions. Experience has shown that the PCMH model increases both provider and patient satisfaction. Practices that participate will receive support from Maryland in becoming a PCMH, will be reimbursed for providing the extra services associated with the program, and will share savings that result from this enhanced practice model.

The MHCC in collaboration with Merck Pharmaceuticals will hold a symposium to provide you with an opportunity to learn about and discuss Maryland’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Pilot program on August 26, 2010, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at The Westin Washington National Harbor, 171 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD.

The keynote speaker for the program will be Dr. James Barr, a practicing family physician and medical director for the Central Jersey Physician Network IPA and Partners in Care, a physician-led organization in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His medical practice was an early adopter of the Patient Centered Medical Home model and currently utilizes electronic health records, patient registries, and hand-held technology to participate in New Jersey’s Patient Centered Medical Home pilot for employers. Dr. Barr has also worked with large self-insured clients to implement incentive-based models designed to enhance the quality of care for employees.

Merck & Co, Inc. is supporting the program’s symposia series by contracting for the speakers and providing both the venue and the dinner. Please contact Ms. Judy Lee Nguyen, RPh, via email at judith_leenguyen@merck.com if you would like to attend the symposium.

For more information on the PCMH program, please contact the PCMH Pilot program staff at 410-764-3570 or via email at:pcmhpractices@mhcc.state.md.us.

In addition, later this week, we will be circulating an schedule for the PCMH Pilot provider webinars which are designed to offer interested providers more detail on specific topics related to the Pilot.