USMD Earns National Recognition in Case Management

The Accreditation is a comprehensive, evidence-based program dedicated to quality improvement. It addresses how organizations deliver case management services, not just how they handle internal, administrative processes. It is the only accreditation program focused on ensuring that organizations have a process to guarantee safe patient transitions. To receive this designation, USMD demonstrated that it emphasizes patient care transitions and that its case management program met or exceeded NCQA standards.

"Effective management of patient transitions is critical, as it improves patient safety by reducing errors that could occur as patients move between care settings. It also improves communication between caregivers and care providers so changes in settings don't disrupt care, and it ensures continuity of critical services as patients move through the often fragmented health system," said Richard C. Johnston, M.D., CEO and chief physician officer of USMD. "We're grateful for the case management recognition we have earned from NCQA."

Successful case management programs have the potential to reduce patient visits to the emergency rooms and decrease hospital stays.

NCQA's Case Management Accreditation Program standards focus on guiding organizations toward improving case management and care coordination processes by evaluating their ability to:

• stay up to date on evidence and care management techniques;
• quickly identify patients who need case management services;
• develop personalized, patient-centered care plans;
• monitor patients to ensure that care plan goals are reached and are adjusted, as needed;
• manage patients effectively as they move between care settings;
• coordinate resources and share information across settings to ensure safe transitions;
• work toward continuous improvement of patient outcomes and satisfaction;
• give patients access to knowledgeable, well-qualified case management staff; and
• keep personal health information secure.

In addition to the NCQA Case Management Accreditation, all of USMD primary care clinics have received Level 3 recognition by the NCQA's Patient Centered Medical Home Program. This recognition means that USMD's primary care clinics successfully display and utilize evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated patient care and long-term patient relationships. USMD is one of a few health systems in the United States to receive the NCQA PCMH Level 3 recognition at all sites and the NCQA Case Management Accreditation.

To learn more about USMD, visit www.USMDinc.com.

About USMD Holdings, Inc.
USMD is a physician-led, integrated health system committed to exemplary patient care. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USMD is part of OptumCare and serves the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with more than 250 physicians and associate practitioners, and provides healthcare services to patients in more than 20 different specialties at its two hospitals, one cancer treatment center and nearly 50 physician clinics, many of which are multi-specialty. All 27 of USMD's primary care clinics have been accredited by the Patient Centered Medical Home Program, a recognition program that is part of the National Committee for Quality Assurance. This recognition means that USMD's primary care clinics successfully display and utilize evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated patient care and long-term patient relationships. For more information about USMD, visit www.USMDinc.com.

SOURCE USMD Holdings, Inc.

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http://www.USMDinc.com