Becoming Recognized or Accredited as a PCMH
There is not a single path that meets every practice’s needs. To determine which process is the most appropriate for your practice, there are three important pieces of information you must gather:
- Find out if your state has a defined, state-developed or specific state recognized process. AAFP Government Relations 2011 State Legislation: Medical Homes Report (13-page PDF; About PDFs).
- Determine if you are required by another group to be recognized or accredited (accountable care organization, Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA], etc.).
- Determine if this recognition is the same as the major health plans or payers for your practice (Medicaid, private insurance, etc.).
After you have gathered the necessary information, you can determine which process may be most appropriate for you and your practice.
Below are links to the major nation-wide recognition and accreditation programs:
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Medical Home On-Site Certification
- The Joint Commission (TJC) Designation for your Primary Care Home
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH 2011) Recognition
- URAC Patient Centered Health Care Home Recognition
Join a free collaborative online network committed to practice transformation. Learn more about Delta-Exchange.
This Patient-Centered Medical Home section of the AAFP web site was supported in part by a grant from Merck & Co.
This Patient-Centered Medical Home section of the AAFP web site was supported in part by a grant from Merck & Co.
