NORTH CONWAY, NH - The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced that Primary Care at Memorial Hospital in North Conway, NH received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term, participative relationships.  They received diabetes recognition, awarded by NCQA for providing excellent care to their patients with diabetes.
 
The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients' experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient's care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.
 
"NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "Recognition shows that Primary Care at Memorial Hospital has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time."
 
To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, Primary Care at Memorial Hospital demonstrated the ability to meet the program's key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.
 
The following clinicians at Primary Care are linked to this Recognition:
David Riss MD
Leona Cloutier APRN
William Martin MD
Brian Sponseller MD
Marianna Gagina MD
Rachel Hamilton DO

Primary Care at Memorial Hospital also earned Diabetes Recognition from NCQA. NCQA developed the program to provide clinicians with tools to support the delivery and recognition of consistent high quality care. This voluntary program is designed to recognize clinicians who use evidence-based measures and provide excellent care to their patients with diabetes. 
 
The DRP Program includes measures which cover areas such as:

• HbA1c control
• Blood Pressure control
• Eye examinations
• Nephropathy Assessment
• Smoking  and Tobacco Use and cessation advice or treatment  

Those who achieve DRP Recognition show their peers, patients and others in the Diabetes community that they are part of an elite group that is publicly recognized for their skill in providing the highest-level diabetes care. 

"We're incredibly proud of these providers and the entire Primary Care team for the hard work that went into receiving these recognitions," stated Scott McKinnon, President & CEO at Memorial Hospital. "Their dedication to quality and a patient centered approach to care has made this possible."
 
Practice Director Shauna Cameron added, "PCMH is all about patient centered care and a transformation of healthcare delivery to our community."
 
For more information about Primary Care at Memorial Hospital, call 603-356-5472 or visit them online at www.memorialhospitalnh.org.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS^®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

About Memorial Hospital
Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in North Conway, NH, and is a member of the MaineHealth family. Its hospital services include a 24-hour emergency department, surgery center, clinical laboratory, heart health & wellness programs, family birthing center, sleep center, wound care and hyperbaric medicine center, oncology, chemotherapy and infusion services and the Miranda Center for Diabetes. Physician practices include primary care and family medicine, women's health, orthopedics and sports medicine. The Merriman House, a 45-bed nursing home specializing in Alzheimer's and other memory disorders, is also located on the hospital campus. Together, our staff and providers are committed to meeting the health needs of the Mt. Washington Valley and surrounding communities by collaborating with community partners in the delivery of accessible, comprehensive, compassionate, and quality health care.


Posted 4/3/17