Association News

MARTINSBURG - Shenandoah Valley Health Center's latest accolade puts it in a tremendous leadership role for the community's health care, Terri Bliziotes said Tuesday.

With its recent recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, SVHC is on the cutting edge of health care, she said.

Bliziotes runs a private consulting firm in Charleston, Peak Performance Consulting, and coordinated SVHC's effort to become recognized for its high standards of health care.

"The framework for the medical home is the framework for reform," she said. "All medical care is local and SVHC is working with local providers to provide a medical home."

Patient-Centered Medical Home, trademarked by NCQA, is health care that revolves around the care the patient needs, when the patient needs it, Bliziotes explained. It is comprehensive, coordinated, integrated services, she said, which SVHC epitomizes.

June 21st, 2010 saw the initial opening of a new community health center location for the FamilyCare organization in Eleanor, WV.  CEO Martha Carter tells us that the funds for this new location can be attributed to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Capitol Improvement Project funds, along with a WV Rural Health Systems grant, a loan from the Center for Rural Health Development and an appropriation by Shelly Moore Capito.

Congratulations go out to Shenandoah Valley Medical System, Inc. (SVMS) in Martinsburg, WV for obtaining certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)  in recognition of achieving the status, Level 1 for Physician Practice Connections - Patient Centered Medical Home.

In celebration of National Health Center Week (August 8-14, 2010), the National Association of Community Health Centers is encouraging participation in a national video contest.  This is an excellent way to let your community, your elected officials, and most importantly your local health center know just how vital and important they are to you and your family.  A video can be a fun way to share your unique story of what the health center means to you, and it is a great way to advocate on behalf of the health center!

The West Virginia Primary Care Association presents a Health Information Technology Conference that you won't want to miss.  Join us on June 23, 2010 at the Ramada Inn in South Charleston.

The New England Journal of Medicine released a new article, Health Care Reform and Primary Care:  The Growing Importance of the Community Health Center.  The article highlights the percentage of population from each state recieving care from a community health center.  West Virginia is the highest in the nation, at 19%.  
 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including the package of reconciliation amendments signed into law on March 30, 2010, contains new tools to aid the government in identifying and pursuing recovery for allegedly fraudulent, wasteful, or abusive practices, according to a March 31, 2010, newsletter from the law firm Foley and Lardner LLP.