Top California Physician Organizations Honored by IHA

The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), based in Oakland, Calif., announced California’s top performing physician organizations. Out of more than 200 physician organizations, the 44 top performers achieved the highest overall quality in 2010 based on the IHA statewide Pay for Performance (P4P) program measures. In addition to celebrating the top performers, IHA presented awards to the physician organizations that demonstrated the most quality improvement from 2009 to 2010. The awards were presented at the IHA Pay for Performance Stakeholders Meeting in Los Angeles.

Both top performer and most improved awards are based on performance in four P4P quality measurement domains: Clinical Quality, Patient Experience, Information Technology-Enabled Systemness, and Coordinated Diabetes Care. As the IHA program transitions to Value Based P4P, future awards may be based on both quality of care and cost.

Three Organizations Achieve Both “Top Performing” And “Most Improved” Awards
The three physician organizations that achieved both top performing and most improved recognition for 2010 are:

• Palo Alto Medical Foundation - Mills-Peninsula Division/Mills-Peninsula Medical Group
• Solano Regional Medical Group
• Southern California Permanente Medical Group - Kern County

Solano Regional Medical Group (now Sutter Medical Group), which is part of the Sutter Medical Network, began taking steps to deliver care that is both high-quality and affordable several years ago, including clinical and operational leader collaboration to identify and implement best practices, comprehensive education and recognition programs. The third dual award winner is the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) – Kern County Medical Center, whose performance is attributed in part to a clinical support structure that is focused on delivering timely and proactive patient-centered “Complete Care.” This team-based model to improve preventive care and chronic conditions management includes the primary care physician, an RN care coordinator, a medical assistant or licensed vocational nurse, a pharmacist, and a social medicine therapist.