University Medical Center-Northport has been nationally re-certified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) in recognition of its work to place patients at the center of care and to advance quality in the health care it provides.
The recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance means the medical practice is committed to providing health care that is patient-centered, accessible, comprehensive, coordinated and quality-focused.
UMC’s main location in Tuscaloosa is also PCMH accredited.
The PCMH model uses a health care team, led by a primary care physician, that delivers coordinated and integrated care and that is proactive in providing preventive, wellness and chronic illness care – all with the patient at the center of the health care experience.
Research shows that the PCMH model builds better relationships between patients and their clinical care team, improves quality of care as well as the patient experience and staff satisfaction, and reduces health-care costs. The PCMH has also been shown to help patients be more compliant and more successful in managing chronic health conditions.
University Medical Center, with locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport and Demopolis, is the largest multi-specialty medical practice in West Alabama with more than 150,000 patient visits annually. The practice, which is operated by The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, provides primary care-focused health services in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and behavioral health, geriatrics, neurology, endocrinology and sports medicine.