Added Benefits
As a member of NYC REACH you will have access to a wide range of resources and pilot programs from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. These programs use your EHR functionality for innovative public health initiatives based on the areas of highest concern for New York City.
Depending on your practice you may qualify for one or more of these programs. Read below to find out more about these programs:
- Patient Centered Medical Home
- Health eHearts Pay for Performance
- Health eQuits Pay for Performance
- Panel Management
Patient Centered Medical Home
A Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) puts the patient at the center of their health care system and coordinates their care across providers.
There are nine standards, with 30 specific elements, that make up PCMH:
- Access & Communication
- Patient Tracking & Registry Functions
- Care Management
- Patient Self-Management Support
- Electronic Prescribing
- Test Tracking
- Referral Tracking
- Performance Reporting & Improvement
- Advanced Electronic Communications
Depending on how many elements a practice meets, they will qualify for Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 PCMH as determined by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Practices that join NYC REACH are eligible for 36.75 PCMH points available through Quality Improvement on eClinicalWorks (other vendors to come soon). As such, they will be eligible for PCMH Level 1 and incentive payments from New York State Medicaid and other payor organizations. REACH staff can help practices with the documentation required for these programs.
LINKS
- NCQA - Patient Centered Medical Home
- Primary Care Development Corporation - PCMH Recognition Manual
- On The Record - PCMH Forum for EHR Users
Health eHearts
In January 2009, The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) launched NYC Health eHearts Rewards, a pilot incentive program funded by the Robin Hood Foundation. This pilot will reward and recognize electronic health record (EHR)-enabled practices for achieving excellent heart health in patients. eHearts focuses on improving cardiovascular health to produce the greatest impact on the health of New Yorkers. Unlike other pay-for-performance programs, eHearts will use EHR-generated clinical quality outcomes and is designed to reduce health disparities.
LINKS
Health eQuits
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) announces the launch of Health eQuits ("eQuits" or healthy Quits), a project that will reward and recognize electronic health record (EHR)-enabled practices for treating New York City smokers. This project is made possible through Communities Putting Prevention to Work funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Practices will be rewarded for their improvement in treating (prescribing cessation medications, counseling, or referral to the NYS quit line) identified smokers. A practice will receive $20 for each additional patient receiving smoking cessation treatment above baseline (# of identified smokers treated at program end - # of identified smokers treated at program start).
The quality incentive payment to each participating practice is capped at $10,000.
Panel Management
Panel Management connects primary care providers with patients most in need of ongoing care. Rather than waiting for high-risk patients to make appointments when something is wrong, or to end up in the hospital, the Panel Management approach proactively contacts patients who would benefit from a follow up appointment or additional education.
To assist providers who want to adopt this model, PCIP provides practices with a dedicated Prevention Outreach Specialist (POS) who uses patient registries to identify patients who routinely fall through the gaps, especially those with hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes. Through outreach and education, this Panel Manager connects patients with preventative services and timely intervention.
LINKS