12
COM Outlook . Spring 2015
NSU Earns National Recognition for
Patient-Centered Care
More than ever, many patients feel their health care is fragmented
and confusing. Now, one newer primary care model aims to help make
the patient experience as seamless as possible, ultimately benefiting pa-
tients, their families, clinicians, and even the economy.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a model of primary
care through which a patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led teams
that coordinate treatment across the health care system. This model helps
foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians.
Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower
costs and can improve patient- and provider-reported experiences of care.
NSU and its medical clinics, which have implemented the medical
home model, were recently recognized by the National Committee for
Quality Assurance (NCQA) as an accredited PCMH for using evidence-
based, patient-centered approaches that focus on highly coordinated care
and long-term, participative relationships. To earn this accreditation,
which is valid for three years, NSU was required to demonstrate en-
hanced access and continuity, identify and manage patient populations,
plan and manage care, provide self-care and community support, track
and coordinate care, and measure and improve performance.
“The medical home was created to improve the fragmentation of
health care by transforming how primary care is organized and deliv-
ered,” said Robert S. Oller, D.O., NSU’s chief medical adviser. “This
model aims to establish a direct relationship between patients and their
physicians so they feel comfortable and confident that they are attended
to by a team of health care providers dedicated to addressing their per-
sonal health care needs.”
NSU demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements,
embodying characteristics of the medical home. Additionally, NCQA
standards aligned with the joint principles of the PCMH established with
the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Fam-
ily Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American
Osteopathic Association.
News of Note
BestMedicalDegrees.com
, an independent online
publication dedicated to providing accurate and useful
information for prospective students considering a
career in medicine, compiled a list that ranks the
top 25 schools offering a Master of Science in Health
Informatics/Information in terms of cost, length of
program, and curriculum.
NSU-COM’s Biomedical
Informatics Program
cracked the top 10, coming in
at number 6.
OMS-III Kelly Thibert
was named president
elect of the American Medical Student Association
(AMSA) for the 2015-16 year. The honor makes her
part of an elite group of students that focuses on
health care policy and the financial assets of the
organization. Thibert will travel the country to
represent the nation’s medical students on topics
such as medical student debt and pharmaceutical
influence in medical education.
NSU-COM’s Institute for Disaster and
Emergency Preparedness
and M.S. in Disaster
and Emergency Preparedness program have become
a corporate member of the Florida Emergency
Preparedness Association, which is dedicated to
protecting the people of Florida by enhancing
emergency management planning and preparedness
activities at the local, state, and federal level. In
related news,
Kristi Messer, M.P.H., M.S.W.
,
assistant professor of public health and disaster and
emergency preparedness, has been appointed co-chair
of the association’s Higher Education Committee.
The
Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine
(INIM)
hosted its second Patient Conference
that centered on the theme
Cellular Energy and its
Impact on Health
on February 7 at NSU’s Rose and
Alfred Miniaci Center. The Webinar was shared in
more than 100 cities in 10 countries, reaching
patients, family members, NSU faculty members,
and students. INIM speakers included
Gordon
Broderick, Ph.D.
, director of the INIM Clinical
Systems Biology Group and professor at the NSU
Center for Psychological Studies and College of
Pharmacy, and
Richard Deth, Ph.D.
, professor,
NSU Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
COMmunications
