The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a nonprofit dedicated to improving health care quality, has recognized YAI Network’s Premier HealthCare as an exceptional Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) healthcare provider.

Premier received the recognition on May 30, just 15 days after they submitted proof that their services met both the rigorous NCQA and New York State standards for exceptional patient-centered medical services.

“We are very proud to have earned NCQA patient-centered medical home recognition for all five of our medical clinics,” said Hope Levy, Premier’s Interim Executive Director. “Last year, New York State raised the bar with PCMH standards and the Premier staff went above and beyond to ensure we met the State's expectations.”

Levy went on to explain that the standards required Premier to delve deep into what it means to provide quality services in terms of access to care, holistic treatment, technological integration, and preparedness for managed care and value-based payments.

Brigida Hernandez, a Consultant with YAI Network, discussed some of the ways in which Premier stood apart from other providers to earn PCMH recognition.

“Premier started doing depression screens of patients in addition to the state-mandated alcohol and substance abuse screens,” she said. “We wanted truly responsive healthcare that looked at the whole person so we could coordinate care with specialty services across the board. It also means that patients can access services without barriers and can benefit from in-house referrals, which are unique to Premier.”

NCQA’s PCMH Recognition program is the most widely recognized program of its kind in the nation. Though roughly 13,000 practices throughout the country are recognized by NCQA, only several hundred among thousands of New York home healthcare providers have been able to meet both NCQA’s requirements and the additional standards set by New York State for PCMH recognition.

By putting patients at the forefront of care, providers who meet PCMH standards reported improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. According to the NCQA, studies have revealed that for every 1,000 patients, those in the care of PCMH-recognized providers needed 163 fewer doctor’s office visits per year.

“Care management and coordination of care are at the foundation of all this,” Hernandez said. “At Premier, each person has a team of healthcare professionals that provide continuous care. Having a team of familiar faces really enhances a patient’s sense of comfort.”

To maintain PCMH recognition, Premier must demonstrate, every year, that their services continue to meet a high standard of care.

“At the end of the day, it’s about quality,” Hernandez said. “We focus on being person-centered so that we can ultimately improve outcomes across the board.”