Southwestern Vermont Health Care Primary Care Practices Recognized for Patient-Centered Care

Bennington, VT—November 21, 2018— Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) and Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) are proud to announce that each of its five primary care practices in Vermont—SVMC Deerfield Valley Campus in Wilmington, SVMC Internal Medicine in Bennington, SVMC Northshire Campus in Manchester, SVMC Pediatrics in Bennington, and SVMC Pownal Campus in Pownal—has achieved recognition for providing personalized, effective, and efficient primary care. The medical practices are now designated as Patient Centered Medical Homes by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

“This achievement recognizes the outstanding level of care we provide,” said Angie Marano, vice president for Ambulatory and Continuing Care Services at SVHC. “It underscores our commitment to putting patients at the center of all we do."

The primary care medical home program identifies practices that promote partnerships between individual patients and their personal clinicians. A team of doctors, nurses, and other allied health providers oversees each patient’s care. The team ensures that care for all the patient’s health needs is coordinated across the health care system.

To receive recognition, a practice must demonstrate its ability to meet six key standards of the Patient Centered Medical Home model, which was developed by the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association. The areas include access to care, using tools to identify patients and their information; planning and managing patient care; providing self-care tools; tracking and coordinating care; and a system for measuring and improving performance. Each standard has several subsections. Practices must resubmit for consideration every year.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers, and researchers.

Implementing the medical home model in Southwestern Vermont is supported by United Health Alliance through a grant from the Vermont Blueprint for health. United Health Alliance is a partnership between physicians and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center dedicated to improving medical care in the greater Bennington area.

About:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices. For more information, visit svhealthcare.org.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.