Five Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in Los Angeles are getting help establishing a Patient-Centered Medical Home, a model of care that is supported by health information technology to focus on care coordination and communication to transform primary care.

The Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers in South Los Angeles awarded Qualis Health a contract to guide the five of health centers with the project, which is part of an effort to gain NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition.

Seattle-based Qualis Health is a nonprofit healthcare quality improvement and consulting organization strives to achieve performance excellence for its clients by focusing on best practices. It holds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) contracts for Idaho and Washington, and also provides care management, quality assessment and improvement and health information technology consulting services across the country.

“Through onsite technical assistance, Qualis Health will support the Southside Coalition clinics in transforming their practices,” said Jonathan Sugarman, MD, president and CEO of Qualis Health. “The initiative will support Southside Coalition’s efforts to improve the efficiency, clinical outcomes, capacity and quality of care in the FQHCs.”

Qualis Health will also provide Southside Coalition with project management services. Qualis Health will assess the readiness of the participating FQHCs to become PCMHs and provide education and support as they implement changes in administrative and clinical processes. There will also be evaluations of the FQHCs regarding their progress in achieving PCMH transformation.

“Participating in the PCMH Initiative will support our current efforts of transforming our network of clinics into health homes with greater focus on access, quality and cost savings,” said S. Nomsa Khalfani, chief of policy and support services at St. John's Well Child & Family Center.

Qualis Health began a 24-month engagement last May with St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, South Central Family Health Center, Central City Community Health Center, University Muslim Medical Association Community Clinic and Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center. The project is supported by The California Endowment through the South Los Angeles Building Healthy Communities Initiative through which Southside Coalition is committed to assuring that families have improved access to a health home that supports healthy behaviors.