Home News News Archives 2011 Archive Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians at Kempsville Recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its Patient Care Model

Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians at Kempsville Recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its Patient Care Model

Patient Care Model Aims to Transform and Enhance Care Delivery

Norfolk, VA (July 19, 2011) – Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians on Kempsville Road in Norfolk, Virginia, is the second Sentara Medical Group practice to be recognized for their patient care model of delivering high quality care based on evidence-based, nationally recognized clinical standards. The practice has been awarded the highest level of recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Physician Practice Connections ®-Patient Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH)™ Program. NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is an innovative program for improving primary care by organizing care around patients, working in teams and coordinating and tracking care over time.

For Patients: Personalized & Coordinated Care
Sentara Medical Group is at the forefront of defining the future of how physician practices transform and enhance the patient experience. In addition to working towards recognitions like that provided by the NCQA, Sentara Medical Group is looking at additional opportunities to provide a more personalized, interactive and coordinated care experience.

For example, at several Sentara Medical Group practices, the physicians and staff offer patient group visits for certain chronic illnesses. Group visits provide patients with the same condition, such as Diabetes, an opportunity to interact with and learn from one another in addition to providing more time with their doctor to focus on managing their specific health needs.

“It’s a way to learn more about what’s going on with my body,” says patient Larry Eure, who participates in group visits for Diabetes at a Sentara Family Medicine Physicians practice. “In my case, the other patients have had Diabetes longer than I have, so they know more than I do. I ask questions and they’re very open in sharing their feedback and experience.”

More Same Day Appointments
A handful of Sentara Medical Group practices are now also piloting the expansion of same day appointment availability as part of the patient-centered approach. Same day appointments can save patients a visit to the emergency room for urgent but non-emergent issues such as earaches, sinus infections and urinary tract infections. Same day appointments also ensure patients with chronic health concerns such as Congestive Heart Failure will receive immediate care when required.

Patients Taking Charge of Their Healthcare
All Sentara Medical Group practices strive to take full advantage of the latest technologies like Sentara eCare®, the Sentara electronic medical record system, and Sentara MyChart, the patient’s secure, online portal to access their health information. With these tools, physicians and staff are able to coordinate care, prescribe medications, answer questions, share test results and more - all online.

This expansion of the traditional doctor / patient relationship from an in-office interaction to an opportunity to collaborate and support before, during and after patient visit is powerful. “Improved patient care is at the heart of the patient-centered medical home approach, along with all of our primary care initiatives,” says Dr. Shane Peng, Vice President and Senior Medical Director of Sentara Medical Group.

Dr. Robert Bademian, lead physician at Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians says, “It has been exciting and rewarding to transition to the patient-centered medical home model. The NCQA recognition is a great testament to the team’s efforts.”

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