New primary care medical home option for accredited ambulatory care organizations: patient-centeredness and care coordination key to new model.

Joint Commission–accredited ambulatory care organizations now have the option of expanding their accreditation to include the Primary Care Medical Home designation beginning July 1, 2011. The Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners recently approved the Primary Care Medical Home option, which will help ambulatory care organizations improve care coordination, increase patient satisfaction, and enable positive patient outcomes while complementing their current ambulatory care accreditation program. “The launch of this new optional program is truly historic for The Joint Commission,” says Michael Kulczycki, executive director, Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission. “This program will help ensure that patients receive primary care services in a manner that is comprehensive, accessible, and coordinated. By focusing on carefully orchestrating care, patient outcomes can be improved.”