WICHITA, KS – With help from a $535,000 grant, the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians is launching a patient-centered medical home initiative this month.

The three-year, $534,576 grant, provided by the Kansas Health Foundation, Sunflower Foundation and United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, will help eight practices in and around Wichita.

"This is a significant provider-led initiative that we believe will enable high quality care (and) lead to improved outcomes at lower costs," said Carolyn Gaughan, the KAFP's executive director. "The initiative embodies the commitment of the state's leading healthcare provider groups to move forward into a new medical home model that provides high quality care in Kansas and improves the overall health of our population."

The initiative is designed to provide education and information about a medical home model of healthcare that is centered on patients, as well as encourageing primary care practices to adopt a patient-centered model in an effort to improve clinical outcomes and, collectively, the health of entire populations of patients.

"This project is a response to local needs for improved healthcare and lower costs. The benefit is win-win-win for physicians, patients and payers," said KAFP President Jen Brull, MD, a physician from Plainville.

In 2007, the KAFP and three other primary care medical societies in the state began working on the Kansas Primary Care Physician Coalition to bring the PCMH to the attention of Kansas physicians, policy makers and the public. The coalition was involved in developing the 2008 legislation defining a medical home in Kansas.

The KAFP will run the initiative with assistance from coalition members and TransforMED, an organization specializing in practice redesign which is affiliated with the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"The patient-centered medical home concept continues to evolve and is widely viewed by healthcare leaders and policy makers as the solution to many of the issues plaguing our healthcare system and as a means for ensuring the best outcomes for patients," said Terry McGeeney, MD, MBA, president and CEO of TransforMED, during a healthcare advisory meeting earlier this year.

Organizations involved in the Kansas Primary Care Physician Coalition are the:

• Kansas Academy of Family Physicians;
• Kansas Association of Osteopathic Physicians;
• Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics;
• Kansas Chapter of the American College of Physicians; and
• Kansas Medical Society.

Gaughan cites the success of similar programs in other states. A program in North Carolina demonstrated savings of more than $200 million per year, she said.

It's estimated that if every American had access to a PCMH, national healthcare expenditures would drop by more than 5.5 percent, or $67 billion per year.

"We believe the net results will be reduced costs, better healthcare outcomes and healthier patients," said Gaughan. "We are so grateful to the funders for their foresight and willingness to fund this important initiative."