Medical Home Status

Morganton, NC (April 5, 2012) - As part of its commitment to provide each patient with an ongoing relationship with a personal physician who provides continuous and comprehensive care, Burke Primary Care is seeking national recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home.

An innovative program for improving primary care, Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) defines a set of stan- dards that describe clear and specific criteria about organizing health care for patients over time.

As a Medical Home practice, Burke Primary Care focuses on caring for the whole person. The personal physician is responsible for providing for the patient’s entire healthcare needs or taking responsibility for appropriately arrang- ing care with other qualified professionals. At Burke Primary Care this includes care for all stages of life; acute care, chronic care, preventive services, and end of life care.

Burke Primary provides enhanced access to care by providing open scheduling, expanded hours and options for com- munication between patients, their personal physician and practice staff. Burke Primary Care is open until 8pm, Monday-Friday, and from 8am to Noon on Saturday to provide better access for those patients needing acute care outside of the standard 9am to 5pm business day.

Utilizing the practice’s newly renovated website, www.BurkePrimaryCare.com, patients can communicate online with their physician and healthcare team to arrange appointments, request a prescription refill or to contact their physician with a question. The practice emphasizes patient education through a patient newsletter available to patients in print and online, electronic messaging (e-blasts) related to the patient’s specific healthcare concerns and conditions, and custom posters in the waiting areas and treatment rooms.

Patient care at Burke Primary Care is coordinated and integrated across all elements of the complex health care system, such as subspecialty care, hospitals, home health agencies and nursing homes. The personal physician’s plan for the patient’s care may also include the family members and both public and private, community-based services.

While the PCHM national program is less than two years old, its core mission reflects a quality of care principle long practiced by Burke Primary Care, the largest independent family medical practice in Morganton.

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