News from The Corvallis Clinic: Medical group earns state's top rating as Patient-Centered Primary Care Home

NEWS from The Corvallis Clinic

March 19, 2013

CONTACT: Judy Corwin, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, 541-754-1374

Clinic earns state's top rating at Patient-Centered Primary Care Home

Family Physician Dan Barrett, M.D., with Mohamed Alyajouri, Director of Quality Improvement & Informatics. Physicians at The Corvallis Clinic monitor patient health records to track screenings, tests and follow-up care to improve health outcomes.

CORVALLIS - The Corvallis Clinic's primary care offices in Albany, Corvallis and Philomath have received the state's top rating as Patient-Centered Primary Care Home. As a Tier III Medical Home, The Corvallis Clinic has met the highest level of
certification. The Corvallis Clinic Family Practice, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine departments, along with The Corvallis Clinic at Waverly Drive/Albany, The Corvallis Clinic at Norht Albany Village and Philomath Family Medicine were among the first 323 sites certified by the Oregon Health Authority in November.

Improving access to quality health care is the goal of Oregon's new Patient-Centered Primary Care Home program, said Dawn Creach, a policy analyst with Oregon Health Authority.

"Research has shown that access to robust primary care is the best way to get better health outcomes at a better cost," Creach said.

For patients, that means having a primary care doctor who knows them, their family and their values. The voluntary program was established by the 2009 Oregon Legislature as part of the state's health care transformation and is meant to incentivize medical providers to participate.

Standards of care considered include:

Accessible: Care is available when patients need it.
Accountable: Clinics take responsibility for their community and provide quality care.
Comprehensive: Patients get the care, information and services they need to stay healthy.
Continuous: Providers know their patients and work with them to improve their health over time.
Coordinated: Clinics help patients navigate the health care system to get the care they need in a safe and timely way.
Patient and Family Centered: Patients and families are the most important part of health care. Care should draw on a patient's strengths to set goals, and communication should be culturally competent and understandable for all.

In addition to the state program, The Corvallis Clinic is also certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and is piloting a federal health care program under Medicare, said Mohamed Alyajouri, Director of Quality Improvement & Informatics at The Corvallis Clinic. While The Clinic already met many of the quality measures for state certification, there were several changes that have come about through the certification process, Alyajouri said.

For example, a doctor from The Clinic's new care coordination team now visits Clinic patients who are admitted to the hospital. And when the patient is discharged, a nurse calls to check in and to schedule a follow-up appointment with his or her primary care physician. Research has shown that following up with a recently discharged patient decreases the likelihood that he or she will be readmitted to the hospital.

Doctors are using technology to track which of their patients are due for important screenings, such as colonoscopies, mammograms and cholesterol checks. Instead of waiting for patients to come in when they are sick, the new approach is for the doctor's office to call patients to let them know about preventive care measures they can receive. Patients also can access their health information online through the patient portal, www.myclinicconnection.com. Instead of waiting for test results or wondering about immunization records, they can see them through a secure website. This proactive approach to medicine is transforming health care, Alyajouri said.

"Instead of just treating patients, we're keeping them healthy," he said.

Doctors' offices are also changing their appointment books so there's time to add patients who need to be seen right away. In the old model, patients who called for an appointment could have waited weeks to get in, said state analyst Creach.

"The new model is you are able to get the care you need," she said, "and your care team is available when you need them."

Learn more: Oregon Health Authority has more information and stories about the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home at its website, www.primarycarehome.oregon.gov.

About The Corvallis Clinic

The Corvallis Clinic, an independent, physician-led medical group, delivers exceptional medical care in a compassionate and convenient manner. The Corvallis Clinic selects the most qualified physicians and staff, with more than 100 providers in 26 specialties and 600 employees serving Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties.