Eleven CentraCare primary care clinic sites recently received health care home (HCH) re-certification from the Minnesota Department of Health through Nov. 2015.

 

The HCH-certified clinics include six CentraCare Clinic sites in St. Cloud (Pediatric & Adolescent Health, Northway Family Medicine, Health Plaza Family Medicine, River Campus Internal Medicine, Plaza Internal Medicine and CentraCare Family Health Center) as well as clinic sites in Becker, St. Joseph, Sauk Centre, Long Prairie and Melrose.

 

 As of Oct. 1, these 11 sites have enrolled more than 1,800 patients in a health care home.

 

Patients a health care home are assigned a care coordinator to help navigate the health system, coordinate care with specialists and connect them with vital community services. Care providers, families and patients work together to improve health outcomes and quality of life for individuals with complex or chronic health conditions and disabilities. There are 24 care coordinators at these clinic sites.

 

The development of health care homes in Minnesota is part of the ground-breaking health reform legislation passed in May 2008. The legislation includes payment to primary care providers for partnering with patients and families to provide coordination of care.

 

To be certified as a health care home, providers and clinics must meet a rigorous set of standards that were developed through a public-private stakeholder process, and complete an application and participate in a site visit. Certification represents a transformation of care delivery that can benefit all patients who receive their care in a health care home.

 

Patient feedback also is an important part of the certification process and one couple commented, “We love working with Health Care Home. We feel like we are a part of a team in managing our health needs and concerns and we thank all who have made this possible.”

 

For more information about health care home or certification, visit http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/homes/index.html.