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Other ACO Initiatives

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Certification Program (Program Closed)

The HPC certifies primary care patient-centered medical home (PCMH) practices that have demonstrated specific behavioral health integration capabilities through the HPC PCMH certification program.

Pursuant to G.L., c. 6D, §15, the HPC is required to develop and implement standards of certification for patient-centered medical homes.  The purpose of this certification process is to complement existing local and national care transformation and payment reform efforts, validate value-based care, and promote investments in efficient, coordinated, and high-quality primary care. HPC PCMH certification emphasizes the importance of behavioral health integration in primary care. Behavioral health conditions (mental illnesses and substance use disorders) suffer from both under and delayed diagnosis and treatment. This is a serious public health problem nationally and across the Commonwealth. Behavioral health issues can often be identified first in a primary care setting, and there is growing consensus that behavioral health needs to be well integrated into primary care.

As of 2019, the HPC has adopted the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration as the standard for certifying Massachusetts primary care practices as patient centered medical homes. Any Massachusetts practice that achieves NCQA’s Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration may also be granted HPC PCMH Certification. 

Learn more about NCQA’s Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration program

If you have specific technical or programmatic questions about NCQA’s Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration, submit them to NCQA through my.ncqa.org. For other inquiries about HPC PCMH Certification, you can contact the HPC at [email protected]

HPC PCMH-Certified Practices

  • Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
  • Holyoke Medical Group – Chicopee Medical Center
  • Holyoke Medical Group – Family Medicine
  • Holyoke Medical Group – Holyoke Associates in Internal Medicine
  • Holyoke Medical Group – Pediatric Care
  • South Boston Community Health Center
  • Upham’s Corner Health Center
  • Whittier Street Health Center

PCMH PRIME

The HPC, in collaboration with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), launched the PCMH PRIME Certification Program in 2016.

PCMH PRIME identified components key to the integration of behavioral health care into primary care and certified practices that met a majority of these criteria. The program sought to provide benefits to practices and their patients by:

  • Supporting the use of evidence-based guidelines in treating patients;
  • Helping increase patient access to behavioral health care services;
  • Recognizing practices that deliver comprehensive care by addressing both physical and behavioral health in the practice setting;
  • Providing opportunities for practices to receive technical assistance from the HPC; and
  • Helping practices identify behavioral health issues, before they become acute, resulting in better outcomes and improved patient experience.

The PCMH PRIME certification standards were phased out in 2019 with the adoption of NCQA’s Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration as the new qualifying standards for HPC PCMH Certification.  Practices that were already on the Pathway to PCMH PRIME or were PCMH PRIME Certified prior to this transition will keep their current status until it expires.  Practices will then need to apply for and achieve Distinction in Behavioral Health Integration with NCQA to be HPC PCMH-certified. 

Additional resources 

FAQs on PCMH PRIME Certification Program Changes 
PCMH PRIME - Standards and Guidelines: 2017 Version-effective beginning 11/17/2017

adviseRx (Program Closed)

adviseRx was an optional, no-fee technical assistance opportunity exclusively for HPC-certified ACOs, which aimed to support the delivery of high-quality, high-value care through evidence-based prescribing practices. The program operated from 2019-2020 and focused on type 2 diabetes management. To offer this program, the HPC partnered with Alosa Health, a nationally recognized leader in developing and implementing clinical educational programs about evidence-based prescribing.

Participating ACO staff (“ACO Educators”) received training in conducting peer-to-peer education to review current, evidence-based materials with prescribers in their own ACOs with supervision from Alosa Health educators. The ACO Educators participated in: independent study review of clinical trials and literature collected into learning modules by Alosa Health; webinars led by clinical experts; and an in-person training focused on the key skills needed to successfully complete each aspect of an educational visit. ACO Educators completed 104 educational visits within their ACOs in early 2020.

Three ACOs participated in adviseRx:

  • Beth Israel Lahey Health Performance Network
  • Cambridge Health Alliance
  • Signature Healthcare

Summary results from the program are available:

Implementing an Academic Detailing Program with Massachusetts ACOs: Program Experience and Summary Results from adviseRx 
adviseRx Appendices

Questions about the adviseRx program may be sent to [email protected]

ACOs and Serious Illness Care Webinar (Recording)

January 24, 2019 
12pm - 1:30pm

The Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care and the Health Policy Commission (HPC) hosted a webinar regarding accountable care organizations' (ACOs') efforts to support the wishes of patients facing serious and advancing illness on January 24th, 2019 from 12-1:30pm. The webinar involved a panel discussion moderated by Maureen Bisognano and highlighting the activities of three ACOs—Pioneer Valley Accountable Care, Lahey Clinical Performance ACO, and Partners HealthCare—that have implemented innovative approaches to advance serious illness care in the Commonwealth. Please fill in your information here to view the recording.