Health Care Management students in the Beaver College of Health Sciences are participating in a Multi-Payer Project to evaluate and improve primary care in rural North Carolina. The Multi-Payer Project is a three year evaluation of whether advanced primary care practice, when supported by Medicare, Medicaid and private health plans, reduces utilization and costs in historically underserved rural areas. The goal is to increase the ability of patients to participate in their healthcare decisions and to improve access, efficiency and safety of healthcare services. Participating practices will obtain Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition through the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and Blue Quality Physician Program (BQPP) Recognition through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.
Funds from Community Care of North Carolina were awarded to 7 North Carolina counties, including Ashe, Avery and Watauga. As part of the Multi-Payer project, AccessCare of the Blue Ridge (which is part of Community Care of North Carolina), was tasked with assisting practices in completing PCMH and BQPP recognitions. Because of the size and scope of assisting so many practices across three mountain counties, AccessCare established the Primary Care Quality Improvement Collaborative with the Beaver College of Health Sciences. Through this collaborative, Health Care Management students intern at rural primary care practices and help facilitate the PCMH process, prepare NCQA submissions, and improve quality and practices.
The program was the winner of the 2014 Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust Innovations in Rural Health Award, which recognizes innovative ideas and work from around the United States that have the potential to improve the health of people living in rural North Carolina communities.
Learn more about the impact of the PCMH Practicum through this video produced by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust: 2014 Rural Health Award Winner: Primary Care Quality Improvement Collaborative