December 7, 2020
University Medical Center has been recertified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home in recognition of its commitment to place patients at the forefront of care while improving quality and lowering health care costs.
“On behalf of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), thank you for your dedication to sustaining your Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition,” the NCQA wrote in announcing the PCMH recertification of UMC, which is operated by The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences.
The PCMH recertification was received by UMC’s Tuscaloosa location on the UA campus for its family medicine clinics.
“They (NCQA) awarded us certification two days after our submission, so that to me is quite an accomplishment,” said Dr. Tom Weida, UMC’s chief medical officer.
NCQA recognition means medical practices have made a commitment to providing care that is patient-centered, accessible, continuous, comprehensive and coordinated, and focuses on quality. The PCMH model uses a care delivery team, led by a primary care physician, that delivers coordinated and integrated care and is proactive in providing preventive, wellness and chronic illness care – all with the patient at the center of the health care experience.
The family medicine clinics at UMC’s Tuscaloosa location initially received PCMH certification in December 2018.
Research shows that the PCMH model builds better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams, 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 able to successfully manage chronic health conditions.
UMC is the largest community practice in West Alabama, with locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport and Demopolis, and more than 160,000 patient visits last year. UMC provides primary care-focused health services in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, psychiatry, geriatrics, neurology and sports medicine.
The NCQA is a national organization that works to improve the quality of U.S. health care.
