For the second time, all Memorial Physician Services’ primary-care locations were recognized as Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Homes, the highest level possible, by the National Committee for Quality Assistance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home 2014 (PCMH 2014) program.

The designation, which is valid for three years, recognizes Memorial Physician Services for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term relationships. Memorial Physician Services first earned the designation in 2013.

The patient-centered medical home is a model of care emphasizing care coordination and communication to transform primary care into what patients want it to be. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality that can improve patients’ and providers’ reported experiences of care.

“Patient-centered medical homes have been rapidly gaining momentum and attention as an innovative approach to primary care,” said Dr. Gerald Suchomski, medical director of quality programs for Memorial Physician Services. “The intent is to offer more personalized, coordinated, effective and efficient care.”

The designation puts Memorial Physician Services on par with a small but elite group of healthcare providers nationwide that have been able to achieve Level 3 status, Suchomski said.

The NCQA PCMH 2014 Recognition program identifies practices that promote partnerships between individual patients and their personal healthcare providers, rather than treating patient care as the sum of episodic office visits.

Each patient’s care at Memorial Physician Services is delivered by physician-led care teams that provide all health care needs and coordinate treatment across the health care system, Suchomski said.

Memorial Physician Services has eight primary-care clinics in Springfield, Chatham, Jacksonville, Lincoln and Petersburg.

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance.