Quality Initiatives

Genesis Quality of Care Initiatives

Health care in the United States is in the midst of a radical transformation. The manner in which physicians and hospitals deliver care and the means by which they are paid for treatment continues to evolve in ways that promise improved quality enhanced patient satisfaction and lower costs. As an independent, physician owned group, Genesis Medical Associates stands at the forefront of change and is committed to embracing some of the newest, most innovative care delivery processes which are described below.

Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

The Patient-Centered Medical Home, or PCMH, is a credentialing program run by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The NCQA recognizes medical practices that strive to obtain the best possible outcomes for patients by coordinating the medical team’s care with available community resources and active engagement in the patient’s ongoing care treatment.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home is not a place in a physical sense; instead it represents a philosophy of health care delivery that emphasizes the importance of the patient-physician relationship. Physicians serve as leaders of the health care team that is responsible for coordinating all aspects of their patient’s care and chronic care management throughout their lives.

The PCMH integrates several important aspects of patient care into a comprehensive program designed to dramatically change the way patients receive care. The foundation of PCMH is based upon the following principles:

• Improved Access to Care – The goal of the PCMH and Genesis is to improve access to care, which means that in most cases, same day appointments will be accommodated whenever possible.
• Use of the Electronic Health Record – PCMH practices employ the EHR to collect and store patient information and clinical data. That information is then used by your physician to manage care, identify high risk patients, track lab results and transmit prescriptions to pharmacies.
• Self-Care and Community Resources – The PCMH recognizes that patients want to share the responsibility for their health care with their medical team. Through a partnership with their providers, patients are encouraged to participate in managing their care and valuable community resources are made available to assist in those efforts.
• Enhanced Patient Experience – Genesis Medical Associates believe that improved patient satisfaction is an important aspect of health care delivery. With that goal in mind, we measure our performance by using patient satisfaction data and feedback from our patients and constantly endeavor to improve the quality of the care we provide.

Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s)

The creation of “Accountable Care Organizations” represents a new form of alignment between hospitals, physicians and health insurance companies. The goal is to coordinate care, improve quality and reduce cost.  The ACO model is designed to drive high quality care through the monitoring of patient treatment outcomes, cost and utilization as well as to maximize benefits of care coordination across treatment providers in the delivery of health care towards a less fragmented patient experience.

Genesis is actively working with its patients, hospitals and specialists to provide efficient, effective and timely care at the highest level of quality.  Genesis Physicians recognize that healthcare is not a singular or episodic event and, as such, they take the concept of Care Coordination very seriously. We will follow-up with our patients to actively engage them in getting the on-going treatment necessary to control their chronic care or disease condition as well as to encourage appropriate preventative care based on age and gender.

In the Pittsburgh area, both UPMC and Highmark are actively involved in the creation of ACO’s. Genesis is currently working in conjunction with both organizations in creating these Accountable Care Alliances toward a more comprehensive approach to individual and family medicine.