The Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) Program in Oregon stands as a key initiative aimed at transforming healthcare for all Oregonians. This innovative Care Home Program focuses on achieving better health outcomes, enhancing the quality of care delivery, and ultimately lowering healthcare costs across the state. By recognizing and supporting clinics that embody high-quality, patient-centered care principles, Oregon is actively working to dismantle the obstacles that prevent individuals from attaining optimal health.
This vital care home program operates under the umbrella of the Oregon Health Authority’s Transformation Center. The PCPCH Program is responsible for managing the entire lifecycle of clinic recognition, from application and assessment to ongoing verification for healthcare practices aspiring to become recognized Patient-Centered Primary Care Homes.
Vision: To cultivate a sustainable, forward-thinking, and collaborative primary care framework that serves as the bedrock for improved health, superior care experiences, and reduced costs for every Oregon resident.
Mission: The PCPCH Program’s core mission is to function as a dependable ally within the primary care landscape. It achieves this by collaborating closely with stakeholders to establish and uphold the gold standard for transformative, holistic, and evidence-based healthcare delivery.
Program History and Evolution
The Oregon Legislature officially established the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program in 2009 through the enactment of House Bill 2009. The program was founded with clear objectives: to develop robust methods for identifying and evaluating the functions of a primary care home, to actively promote their growth and proliferation, and to encourage Oregonians to proactively seek healthcare services from recognized Patient-Centered Primary Care Homes.
To ensure the program’s relevance and effectiveness, the PCPCH Program engaged with diverse groups of Oregonians from various backgrounds, alongside the dedicated PCPCH Standards Advisory Committee. This collaborative approach was crucial in defining the essential characteristics and operational standards of a primary care home.
In 2010, the Oregon Health Policy Board further solidified the commitment to patient-centered care by tasking the Oregon Health Authority with the ambitious goal of ensuring that 75 percent of all Oregonians have access to care within a Patient-Centered Primary Care Home by 2015. This target underscored the urgency and importance of expanding the reach of this care home program.
Building on this momentum, the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program joined forces with the Northwest Health Foundation in 2011. Together, they convened a task force composed of a wide array of experts, including clinicians, patient advocates, public health professionals, and healthcare delivery specialists from across Oregon. The task force’s mandate was to formulate comprehensive recommendations for the widespread implementation of the primary care home model throughout Oregon. The program is currently diligently working to implement these recommendations, as detailed in the task force’s final report.
The task force identified a key priority: leveraging Oregon’s existing expertise and resources to establish a Patient-Centered Primary Care Institute. This institute would serve as a central hub for knowledge sharing, resource brokerage, and technical assistance, supporting clinics in their journey towards becoming recognized Patient-Centered Primary Care Homes.
In 2012, the PCPCH Program once again partnered with the Northwest Health Foundation to launch the Patient-Centered Primary Care Institute. This institute, operating within the Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation, offers a comprehensive suite of technical assistance, training programs, and resources designed to facilitate primary care clinics in adopting PCPCH standards and achieving formal recognition as patient-centered care home programs.
PCPCH Program Regulations
For detailed information on the administrative rules governing the program, please refer to the official Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR): OAR 409-055-0000 to 409-055-0090 and Tables 1-4 to OAR 409-055. These resources provide in-depth regulatory guidance for practices participating in the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program.
