CANTON – Community Health Centers of the North Country in Gouverneur, Canton and Malone have received national recognition as Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Homes, the highest accreditation possible.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced in November Community Health Center of the North Country (CHCNC) had earned NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Level 3 designation at their Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Canton, Gouverneur, and Malone.

This is the highest level of accreditation. CHCNC offers primary, pediatric, dental, optometry, WIC, and behavioral healthcare services to all members of the community regardless of health insurance status or ability to pay.

To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, CHCNC demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements as well as standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home; these are established by the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Osteopathic Association.

The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that focuses on teamwork. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of individual office visits across time. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the healthcare system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, while reducing unnecessary visits to local emergency rooms, which is crucial to the success of ongoing efforts across New York State to achieve delivery system reform within the healthcare system.

“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 Community Health Center of the North Country has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of healthcare 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 healthcare. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.