Washington Heights Pediatrics Achieves Level 1 Medical Home Status

We are proud to announce that Washington Heights Pediatrics was certified Level 1 by the Department of Health NYC’s division which controls Quality Assurance in Medical Practices. Washington Heights Pediatrics was certified Level 1 in January, which means that our practice is following quality guidelines, has developed a first-hand direct communication system with patients and has reached out to the community, and is practicing an approved Electronic Record Keeping Program.

Our practice was certified for Level 1 in January. We are currently working to reach Level 2 and are committed to attaining Level 3 by the end of the year. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) does not give out these certificates easily and we are proud to say that both of our locations are now certified Level 1 Medical Home Status.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care. The organization, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 2010, recognizes clinicians and practices in key performances areas.

A promising model of health care delivery, the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) seeks to improve the quality and efficiency of care. The Physician Practice Connections-Patient Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) identifies practices that promote partnerships between individual patients and their personal clinicians, rather than equating a string of office visits to patient care. According to early evaluations, the PPC-PCMH shows results in improving care quality and lowering costs by making efficient, coordinate care more accessible.

“The patient-centered medical home promises to improve health and health care. The active, ongoing relationship between a patient and a clinician in medical homes fosters an all-too-rare goal in care: staying healthy and preventing illness in the first place,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane.