Nova Southeastern University Earns National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care

NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home™ standards emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician partnership

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – More than ever, many patients feel their health care is fragmented and confusing. Now, one newer primary care model aims to help make the patient experience as seamless as possible, ultimately benefiting patients, their families, clinicians and even the economy.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a model of primary care through which a patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. This model helps foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and its medical clinics have implemented the medical home model and were recently recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as an accredited PCMH for using evidence-based, patient-centered approaches that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships.

“NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that Nova Southeastern University has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”

In order to earn this accreditation, which is valid for three years, NSU was required to demonstrate:

• Enhanced access and continuity
• Identify and manage patient populations
• Plan and manage care
• Provide self-care and community support
• Track and coordinate care
• Measure and improve performance

“The medical home was created to improve the fragmentation of health care by transforming how primary care is organized and delivered,” said Robert S. Oller, D.O., chief medical advisor for NSU. “This model aims to establish a direct relationship between patients and their physicians so they feel comfortable and confident that they are attended to by a team of health care providers dedicated to addressing their personal health care needs.”

NSU demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the PCMH established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.

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 About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is an independent, not-for-profit institution with approximately 26,000 students at campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating more than 50 years of academic excellence!

About NCQA: NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2015, NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.