More Community Health Centers Are Becoming Medical Homes
<p>The community health center is a cornerstone of health care systems in underserved areas, providing comprehensive primary, behavioral health, and dental care to patients regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay. But with the increasing demand for health services expected from the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions, how will the nation’s health centers cope? </p><p>A new Commonwealth Fund issue brief examines the extent to which these key safety-net providers are able to deliver high-quality patient care—especially their capacity to serve as medical homes. Its findings show that the proportion of health centers with medical home capability nearly doubled between 2009 and 2013. At the same time, many centers reported greater difficulty coordinating care with external providers, particularly specialists.</p>
<p>Researchers Jamie Ryan, Pamela Riley, M.D., Melinda Abrams, and Robert Nocon tracked 12 core medical home functions in all, ranging from patient access and tracking to care management and quality improvement.</p>