WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (PRWEB) April 24, 2015
Qualidigm, the mission-driven national healthcare consulting company in Wethersfield, Conn., has been awarded a contract by the State of Connecticut, Office of the Healthcare Advocate, to implement the Advanced Medical Home Vanguard Program. In support of this award, which is part of the State Innovation Model (SIM), Qualidigm has partnered with Planetree, a Connecticut-based patient advocacy organization, to pilot methods to enhance primary care practice and the patient experience of care in Connecticut.
In order to propel primary care practices to reach greater heights in patient-centered excellence, Qualidigm will assist primary care practices to achieve National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and leverage Planetree’s concepts centered on engaging patients in their own healthcare. Under this pilot initiative, the Qualidigm team will work with up to 50 primary care offices to test transformation methods aimed at improving practice and patient experience in Connecticut. The pilot will allow for flexibility so participating practices can help to identify the optimal approach before finalizing a statewide strategy.
“Qualidigm is pleased to implement this exciting pilot initiative that will provide the State of Connecticut with a tested strategy for greater primary care practice efficiency," said Tim Elwell, president and CEO of Qualidigm. “Medical practices are often overwhelmed with the administrative burden associated with transformation. Our approach will examine methods that alleviate demand on the primary care team but also deliver high quality care, improve patient experience and ensure culturally appropriate and equitable healthcare for all, particularly medically vulnerable populations. Additionally, our partnership with Planetree will place additional focus on the patient experience, which we anticipate will position Connecticut as a leader of innovative transformational services nationally,” said Elwell.
“I am impressed with the innovative approach the Qualidigm team developed for this pilot,” said Dr. Mark Schaefer, director of healthcare innovation. “This complementary strategy, which combines Qualidigm’s experience in medical home transformation, helping more than 400 clinicians achieve NCQA recognition, with Planetree’s expertise in integrating patient-centered care into the transformation process, is aligned directly with the state’s goal to improve satisfaction among both patients and the primary care provider team,” said Schaefer.
Connecticut’s SIM initiative emphasizes the importance of investing in primary care transformation in order to reduce health disparities, improve care experience, and to provide a more whole-person centered and effective care process. Activities related to SIM, including the implementation of the Advanced Medical Home Vanguard Program, are guided by the Healthcare Innovation Steering Committee, a diverse, multi-stakeholder committee, which includes healthcare providers, consumers, advocates, health plans, and state agencies.
About Qualidigm:
With its corporate headquarters in Wethersfield, Conn. and offices in Concord, NH; Barre, VT; and Providence, RI, Qualidigm's mission is to improve the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of healthcare through transformational change. Qualidigm provides consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide. These services include consulting, data analysis, health information technology, patient safety, quality improvement, and utilization review. Qualidigm is part of a team that is serving as the Medicare Quality Innovation Network Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) under contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for New England. Qualidigm is also a Patient Safety Organization (PSO) as designated by the State of Connecticut. http://www.Qualidigm.org
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