Five Upstate practices—Upstate Family and Preventive Medicine (the Gold and Blue teams); Adult Medicine; Upstate Internists; and Inclusive Health Services—have been recognized as a New York State Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The Upstate Family and Preventive Medicine Gold team, Adult Medicine, Upstate Internists and Inclusive Health Services are based at the Nappi Wellness Institute. The Upstate Family and Preventive Medicine Blue team is located at Upstate Community Hospital.

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of healthcare organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. 

PCMH is a model of care highlighted by building relationships between patients and their clinical care teams through patient-centered, coordinated care that supports access, communication, and patient involvement.

Research shows that PCMH care models lead to a more satisfied patient experience through a more effective and collaborative dialogue between the patient and their provider. This leads to individualized overall care plans for each patient, resulting in better health outcomes. Physician practices that earn PCMH recognition have committed to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care.

Upstate Chief Medical Officer Amy Tucker, MD, highlighted the recent recognition.

“This is important recognition for our health care teams and ultimately for our patients,” Tucker said.  “Recognition from the National Center for Quality Assurance speaks to the commitment our medical practices have for to providing the very best care for our patients.”

Instrumental in earning the special designation were the efforts of Yeneiska Berrios, Susan Brigham, Kieth Kendall, Andrea Kite, Fay Mancebo Maturan, Emeline McShane, Janett Oxendine, Colleen Regan, Maribeth Schoeneck, Lindsay Shaw, and Desirea Stephens.

Caption: The Nappi Wellness Institute is home to four of the five recognized medical practices; the other is based as Upstate Community Hospital.