Kansas Medical Practices, Advocates Explore Shift to 'Patient-Centered' Model

The Kansas Foundation for Medical Care and six Kansas health practices are trying to chart the path to create a new kind of doctor’s office, with the goal of improving care.

Six clinics, including St. Francis Family Medicine at Hunter’s Ridge, are participating in a pilot program with KFMC to explore transitioning to a patient-centered medical home model, as designated by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The other participating practices are in Wichita, Winfield, Fredonia and Manhattan. The pilot has been in place for about one year, so they are still learning what will and won’t work, KFMC staff members said.

NCQA is a nonprofit organization that assesses the quality of health plans and other programs to improve health outcomes. It defines a patient-centered medical home as a medical practice where patients, doctors and other employees in the practice work together to improve care and patient experiences while reducing costs, primarily by reducing hospital stays and emergency room use.

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Source: The Topeka Capital Journal