NCQA Recognizes 51 Hudson Valley Practice Sites With Medical Home Status

An quality initiative in the Hudson Valley has resulted in National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recognition of 51 primary care practice sites as Level 3 patient-centered medical homes, the highest level achievable. This accomplishment was achieved by 236 physicians within 11 primary care practice groups (7 medical groups with multiple practice locations and 4 single site practices) and represents 44 percent of total Level 3 clinicians in New York, and nearly 10 percent of all practices at this level across the country.

The practices were supported by the Taconic Independent Practice Association (TIPA), the nearly 4,000-member strong physician leadership organization focused on innovative initiatives to transform medical practices and improve health care quality in the Hudson Valley. Physician practices were selected for the project based on their known commitment to quality improvement efforts in the past and their advanced, robust use of health information technology. Although NCQA Level 2 Recognition was the initial project goal, all 11 practices exceeded the goal to reach NCQA Level 3 status.

Three federally funded community health centers were among the Hudson Valley practices to achieve this recognition. Importantly, the project included two solo practitioners and several small practices, demonstrating that physician practices of all sizes and types can become patient-centered medical homes.