PCMHs Gain Momentum in New York

The patient-centered medical home (“PCMH”) concept, in which a primary care physician and an interdisciplinary team coordinate the provision of patient services, continues to gain support. In April, New York State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah, M.D. promoted the state’s new initiative to increase access to PCMHs during his National Public Health Week visit to Urban Health Plan’s El Nuevo San Juan Health Center in the Bronx. The recently adopted New York State Budget includes an initiative to enroll 1 million Medicaid patients in PCMHs.

According to the Commissioner, among its many benefits, the team-based model of PCMHs offers “comprehensive, coordinated care, with greater emphasis on prevention and management of chronic diseases.” Currently, New York’s spending for avoidable hospitalizations is the highest in the country, and the PCMH plan should, over time, reduce the number of such hospitalizations.

Commissioner Shah was joined by other leaders in his quest to promote the PCMH initiative during the recent appearance in the Bronx. Urban Health Plan President and CEO Paloma Hernandez was among the leaders in attendance. Urban Health Plan’s El Nuevo San Juan Health Center earned the highest level of National Committee on Quality Assurance (“NCQA”) recognition and served as the Commissioner’s example for a high-performing PCMH.

The attorneys at THE HEALTH LAW PARTNERS can assist healthcare providers with navigating the ever-evolving legal landscape. For more information, please contact Carey F. Kalmowitz, Esq., Adrienne Dresevic, Esq., or Esq. at (248) 996-8510 or (212) 734-0128, or visit the HLP website.