A patient is examined at the Novak Center for Children’s Health, which houses UofL Pediatrics – Downtown.
Brad Feinknopf, Feinknopf Photography. A patient is examined at the Novak Center for Children’s Health, which houses UofL Pediatrics – Downtown.

The three UofL Physicians – General Pediatrics clinics have earned Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) designation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

PCMH recognizes primary care practices with a team-based health care delivery model that provide comprehensive care to patients and are dedicated to continuous quality improvement for health outcomes. Designated practices put patients at the forefront and create strong relationships between patients and their clinical care teams.

UofL Physicians – General Pediatrics has clinics at the Novak Center for Children’s Health in downtown, Sam Swope Kosair Charities Centre on Eastern Parkway and on Stonestreet Road in southwest Louisville.

“Following the PCMH model provides a very structured way to deliver coordinated care,” said Amanda Cagle, RN, practice manager for UofL Physicians – General Pediatrics Downtown and Stonestreet sites. “It provides a high level of standardization throughout all three clinics, which follow the same policies and procedures. We are continuously monitoring different aspects of patient care in order to improve the care we deliver to our patients.”

Research shows that PCMHs improve quality, the patient experience and staff satisfaction while reducing health care costs, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

A requirement of earning PCMH designation is using care coordination, the intentional organization of patient care among providers working with a particular patient to provide optimum health services. Through care coordination, providers share important clinical information, work together to keep patients and their families informed and ensure that effective referrals take place.

“We’ve changed policies, procedures and day-to-day functioning to accommodate patients in every way we can,” said Melissa Hancock, MD, UofL division director of general pediatrics. “All of our providers and staff are invested in our patients’ primary care. This is where they’re going to get their comprehensive health care needs met.”