Courtesy Photo | FORT WORTH, Texas (Jan. 24, 2017) Lt. Jacob L. Duong, Naval Branch Health Clinic...... read more read more
FORT WORTH, Texas (Jan. 24, 2017) – After a year of hard work, Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) Fort Worth was awarded National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Level III recertification for the period of February 2017 to February 2020, the highest recognition medical facilities can receive from the NCQA for Medical Home Port (MHP).
The Fort Worth clinic, in February 2014, was the first military treatment facility assigned to Naval Health Clinic (NHC) Corpus Christi to achieve NCQA Level III certification.
Capt. Guido F. Valdes, NHC Corpus Christi commanding officer, praised the Fort Worth facility in a command wide written message.
“This solidifies the command's mission to provide safe, quality health care across the enterprise as both branch clinics and Corpus facility have achieved this recognition,” said Valdes. “The NCQA seal is a recognized symbol of quality. Our Medical Home Port (MHP) clinics must pass a comprehensive review and must annually report on their performance: they face a rigorous set of more than 60 standards and report on more than 40 areas in order to earn NCQA's seal of approval. This recognition is a reliable indicator that an organization is well-managed and delivers high quality care and service.”
MHP is a standardized primary care team model that fosters the partnership between the patient, his or her primary care provider and their primary care team. Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to ensure patients get the right care at the right time. By streamlining the process of care, MHP is positioned to provide better access, continuity of care, wellness and disease management for patients.
NCQA certification for MHP is mandated by the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) Instruction 6300.19, which states that all Medical Home Port locations will attain recognition for Level I within four months of establishing a Medical Home Port clinic. Once achieving NCQA Level I recognition through a self-assessment, Medical Home Port clinics have an additional six months to achieve NCQA Level II recognition.
The Corpus facility achieved first time NCQA recognition of level II in March 2013, followed by Level III recognition in April 2016.
The Kingsville clinic attained Level II in August 2016, its first NCQA recognition.
“For NCQA, achieving either a Level II or III recognition is not an easy feat and is a reflection of the hard work of each clinic,” said Cmdr. Jennifer L. Miller, NHC Corpus Christi director of Health Services, and MHP champion.
Level III certification is valid for three years, although recipients constantly review and perform self-assessments while maintaining their commitment to safe and quality patient care.
In preparation for renewed accreditation, Lt. Christopher W. Ciancitto, NBHC Fort Worth MHP department head and clinic manager, attended BUMED sponsored NCQA Workgroup Sessions beginning in Fall of 2015. Using updated information and workshop resources, he led group meetings and trained staff to assist with clinic process appraisals to validate alignment with NCQA standards.
Recertification began late December 2015, followed by the review of clinical methodology and revision of MHP standard operating procedures. Then in July 2016, Ms. Theresa Posey, RN, Hospitalman Jose Rico and Ciancitto collaborated to form the NCQA action team.
The first step in the process was familiarization and assessment of the six core components: patient-centered access, team-based care, population health management, care management and support, care coordination and care transitions, and performance measurement and quality improvement. The six components are broken down across 27 elements consisting of 178 factors.
“What was done next was a self-appraisal of our Clinic processes, and a review of alignment with Standards. The application was successful primarily due to the culture we have in place: One of continual process improvement, openness in communication and dedication to the delivery of safe, effective, quality healthcare, which strongly aligns with our Mission,” said NBHC Fort Worth Officer in Charge, Lt. Cmdr. Deepak D. Devasthali.
The clinic manager built on Devasthali’s testimony, pointing to the relentless efforts of the clinic’s NCQA action team as well as MHP.
“This was truly a monumental task for the three individuals to complete and it was a direct reflection of the entire Medical Home Port Team's commitment to patient care,” said Ciancitto.
The NCQA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving health improvement throughout the healthcare system. Recertification validates that the Fort Worth clinic is on par with best practices.
“From a patient experience standpoint, it should give our beneficiaries reassurance that we are doing everything we can to ensure the delivery of world class care,” said Devasthali, summing up the significance of NCQA’s current re-certification. “We are also well on our way to fulfilling our vision of being a leading high-reliability organization.”
NHC Corpus Christi and its Naval Branch Health Clinics located in Kingsville and Fort Worth provide ambulatory care services to over 13,000 enrolled patients comprised of military active duty, their family members, retirees and their family members in South Texas and Dallas/Fort Worth. In addition, the command's detachment in San Antonio provides primary care services to our Navy students at the Medical Education and Training Campus at Fort Sam Houston, and case management services and medical board management to our Navy and Marine Corps Wounded, Ill and Injured Warriors (WII) at San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC).
For more news from Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/nhcc/ and http://www.facebook.com/nhccc.
| Date Taken: | 01.24.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2017 12:43 |
| Story ID: | 221299 |
| Location: | FORT WORTH, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 213 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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