AAFP praises speech's focus on patient access

The American Academy of Family Physicians applauded President Obama’s continued emphasis on health care reform in the State of the Union address. The realities behind the need for reform remain, the AAFP noted, citing three goals critical to a successful health care system: 1) constructive health insurance reform for all Americans; 2) changes in delivery that ensure high quality, affordable care and physician payment; and 3) medical education reform to rebuild the primary care workforce. (Physicians News)

Allies in family medicine advocacy: the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative

The Association of Departments of Family Medicine has joined forces with Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative. A unified coalition is needed to articulate the evidence of effectiveness, the expectation for transformation, and the vision for innovation, according to ADFM, and the PCPCC is laying that foundation. Family medicine departments should encourage their faculties -- and medical schools and academic health centers -- to join the movement and work for systemic change, ADFM says. (Annals of Family Medicine)

Boeing medical home pilot offers insights for future chronic care efforts

Boeing’s recent pilot demonstrates a medical home for patients with severe chronic disease can improve care quality and reduce per capita costs. The findings offer insights for future efforts. 1) Wisely intensifying care for the sickest chronically ill can yield an initial 3 to 6 percent reduction in per capita spending. 2) This success can be replicated without dramatic or costly changes. 3) It requires the leadership of a large payer—Medicare, a consortium of large private payers, or both. (Health Affairs blog)

Virginia medical home wins national attention for care coordination 

Care coordinators, the hallmark of Carilion Clinic Family Medicine’s Vinton practice, are helping the practice generate national attention. National Committee for Quality Assurance certified the practice as Virginia’s Level-3 medical home. Carilion is also working with Dartmouth’s Center for Health Policy Research on a payment reform pilot. It will likely feature a mix of capitation, traditional fee-for-service and pay-for-performance. Currently, Carilion subsidizes the additional costs associated with the medical home. (Roanoke Times)

New practice gives uninsured access to quality, lower cost care  

The Pardee Flat Rock Family Health Center in Henderson, NC began taking patients in November using a patient centered medical home model.  The small practice offers patients expanded access using evisits, open scheduling and longer appointments.  The structure for the practice, which serves a number of working uninsured, grew out of brainstorming by Dr. Steven Crane, who is a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, in conjunction with UNC researchers in innovative models.  The idea is to provide more efficient care at a lower cost.   (article and video, BlueRidgeNow.com)

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