People Inc.'s Elmwood Health Center, 2128 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, has been recognized as a Physician Practice Connections - Patient Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) by the National Commission for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The Elmwood Health Center is located between Hertel and Kenmore Avenues.

NCQA officials said that the three-year recognition was awarded to the Elmwood Health Center for using information systems to measure practice-wide clinical quality and improve clinical outcomes at the point of care.

"This certification and national honor is a tribute to the providers and staff at the Elmwood Health Center whose embracement of electronic medical records (EMR) technology has had a significant impact on the quality of patient care," said Thomas Artim, MD, People Inc. medical director.

Physician Practice Connections-Patient Centered Medical Home recognizes those medical practices that use information systematically to improve the quality of patient care. Numerous studies, including the Institute of Medicine's Fostering Rapid Advances in Health, have called for the systemic use of health care information, including more widespread adoption of information technology such as electronic health records.

The Elmwood Health Center implemented EMR technology just over one year ago. Currently, all the providers at the Elmwood Health Center are using the electronic medical record on a routine basis.

"Having health information at the point of care is critical to the delivery of quality health services," said Anna Korus, vice president of Health and Senior Services for People Inc. "PPC-PCMH identifies those health care providers who make the most of the clinical information they have on hand to make better decisions and provide better follow-up care to their patients."

In earning NCQA recognition, the Elmwood Health Center providers and staff met key PPC-PCMH standards in all of the areas required including: use of patient registries, use of Electronic systems provision of educational resources in English and/or a second language, practice-wide quality measures and improvement efforts, screening referrals and follow-up for at-risk patients and structured care of patients with chronic conditions.

Founded in 1994, the Elmwood Health Center provides both primary and specialty care services to a diverse patient base and is recognized locally for its care of those with special needs and records more than 36,000 visits annually.

People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 10,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.