Primary Care
Primary care is widely considered to be the foundation of a well performing health system. Massachusetts community health centers have long been recognized as high performers, both in the health care they provide and the money they save. Providing both access to and coordination of health care for more than 760,000 state residents, they are deeply invested in finding ways to improve the accessibility, quality, safety and efficiency of primary care. The League and several of its member health centers are currently engaged in two projects aimed at strengthening the role and impact of primary care to improve patient health and lower health costs.
Access and Redesign Collaborative
Over the past year, several Massachusetts community health centers have been engaged in a pilot program focused on redesigning the management of patient visits for improving access to care. The "Access and Redesign" Collaborative provides the foundation improvement work for practice transformation at community health centers. The ultimate goal of the collaborative is formal recognition of health centers as Patient Centered Medical Homes. Participating health centers have developed and implemented systems to track their improvement efforts in areas including: patient assignments to providers; matching appointment supply to patient demand; reducing "Did Not Keep Appointment" (DNKAs); and reducing wait time for next available appointment.