Gundersen receives Patient-Centered Medical Home certification

All primary care locations throughout Gundersen Health System, including Pediatrics, Family Medicine and General Internal Medicine, have achieved the highest level of Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

According to Kate O'Rourke, DO, physician at Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics, "Gundersen has long followed Medical Home principles, but this highest level of certification is confirmation to our patients that they are receiving the highest quality care and the confidence and trust they put in us is well founded," Gundersen St. Joe's has clinics in Hillsboro, Wonewoc and Elroy.

Medical Home is a healthcare model that emphasizes care coordination and communication to transform primary care into what our patients want it to be. It's designed to assure that patients get quality primary care when and where they need and want it.

"By adopting a system that efficiently incorporates ways to stay on top of our patients' chronic care needs along with their acute care needs, we are making the most of the patients' visits," explains Dr. O'Rourke. "It takes quite a bit of commitment and effort to re-work the processes involved in delivering the most comprehensive care, in the most efficient way, utilizing all of the available resources all while continuing to address the immediate needs of our patients. We are very proud to have achieved this national recognition because it shows that we have done the work to improve the care we deliver, to best address the needs of the community and be good stewards of our resources."

There's growing evidence that the Medical Home model leads to higher quality of care and lower costs by reducing hospital and emergency department visits, lessening health inequities and improving patient outcomes.

Attributes of the primary care medical home include:

• Accountable for meeting each patient's care needs, including prevention and wellness, acute care and chronic care using a team of care providers
• Provide patient-centered healthcare that focuses on the whole person by:
  • Respecting each patient's unique needs, culture, values and preferences
  • Sharing decision making with patients and families
• Coordinate care, including specialty care, hospitals, home healthcare, and community services and supports
• Deliver accessible services with shorter waiting times for urgent needs, enhanced in-person hours, 24/7 telephone or electronic access to the care team
• Commitment to quality and quality improvement by:
  • Engaging in performance measurement and improvement
  • Measuring and responding to patient experiences and patient satisfaction
  • Practicing population health activities
  • Share quality and safety data and improvement activities

For more information about Gundersen St. Joe's medical home certification, call (608) 489-8000 or to find a Gundersen primary care provider and establish your Medical Home, visit gundersenhealth.org/primary-care.