News
The Wright Center’s community health centers in Clarks Summit, Jermyn recognized for providing patient-centered care
Mid Valley Community Health Center also receives recognition for behavioral health
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently awarded The Wright Center for Community Health’s Clarks Summit and Jermyn locations with Patient-Centered Medical Home certificates for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Township, and The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, each again achieved this special recognition, acknowledging that they have the tools, systems, and resources to provide patients with the right care at the right time.
Four of The Wright Center’s community health centers have retained the NCQA voluntary accreditation in recent months. In October, The Wright Center’s community health centers in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre were notified that they had successfully retained the recognition seal. Every year, The Wright Center’s community health centers undergo a formal review to ensure compliance with the Washington, D.C.-based organization’s high standards.
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Its Patient-Centered Medical Home program reflects input from the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Osteopathic Association, and others. It was developed to assess whether health centers are functioning as medical homes and to recognize their efforts.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home model is designed to enable patients and their care teams to foster stronger relationships, help patients manage chronic conditions more effectively, and enhance the overall patient experience. The model has been shown to increase staff satisfaction and reduce health care costs. It also increases patient satisfaction by offering open access to health care services and extended hours.
For the public, NCQA accreditation signals that The Wright Center for Community Health maintains a focus on quality improvement and has key processes in place to help patients prioritize their health.
“We are proud to retain this recognition seal at our community health centers,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “The NCQA seal communicates to the public that we are fully committed to prioritizing patient-centered care, including offering morning, evening, and weekend hours to allow patients to access care when it is convenient for them and expanding behavioral health and dental services to truly offer a team-based approach to care.”
Mid Valley’s certification carries an additional NCQA distinction in behavioral health integration. This recognition demonstrates that recipients have the resources, evidence-based protocols, standardized tools, and quality measures to meet patients’ needs, according to NCQA.
“Many times, primary care physicians will be the first to identify a health issue that requires behavioral health services,” Dr. Sheth said. “Offering affordable, high-quality behavioral health services where patients are already receiving whole-person primary health services eliminates barriers and helps improve patient health overall.”
For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
