WASHINGTON, DC—The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced that 1st Choice Healthcare has received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships.

The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.

“NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that 1st Choice Healthcare has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”

To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, 1st Choice Healthcare demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.
To find clinicians and their practices with NCQA PCMH Recognition, visit http://recognition.ncqa.org.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

The Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen handed out 16 grants totaling over $890,000 to Arkansas organizations. 1st Choice Healthcare was awarded a grant of $36,993.00 for its program entitled Breast Health Awareness Program. This year marks the 22nd year for the Komen organization to award grants to programs around the state who are working in the fight against breast cancer. These funds are predominantly raised through the Race for the Cure® chaired in 2015 by Jack Powell and Runway for the Cure® chaired by Coco Dorsey. Also introduced was 2016 Race for the Cure ® Chair Shawna Long and 2016 Runway for a Cure® Chair Kathy Hall.
A total of $895,484 was granted. Also announced was $268,000 of money raised in Arkansas that will go directly into Komen National Research grants to find a cure for breast cancer. “We are always proud of the opportunity to help the women in our state with grant funds,” said Arkansas Affiliate Executive Director Sherrye McBryde. “Our grants are a direct result of the hard work of our volunteers and the generosity of our supporters. The recipients of these funds were chosen because their innovative, evidence-based projects aligned with one or more target priorities identified in the 2015 Komen Arkansas Community Profile. We want to understand the breast cancer needs of every community we serve. So every four years, the Arkansas Affiliate examines the impact of breast cancer within our service area by conducting an assessment, the Community Profile Report, which ensures that our efforts (community outreach, collaborations, grants and public policy work) address the greatest needs in each community. The full 2015 Community Profile can be found on our website at www.komenarkansas.org”.
The Komen Arkansas Affiliate first awarded grants totaling $78,700 in 1994. This year the largest grant totaled $167,992 and the smallest awarded was $11,792.
“We are so proud to have the support of this community raising funds that will directly impact our friends, coworkers and neighbors in Arkansas fighting breast cancer,” says Komen Arkansas Board Chair Matt Propst. “Whether they fight for someone they love, or fight for themselves, or for their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, or children, we join them in their efforts to eradicate this disease. We worked hard to earn this money and we are so proud to distribute to such trustworthy, valuable, impactful programs. We are also pleased to send $268,000 to Komen National for research. Our fight continues until a cure is found.”
The Affiliate awarded its highest honor, the Hickingbotham Award for Service, to
Encore for Women’s Health (Encore). Encore is a private non-profit breast cancer control program that provides free navigation assistance and small amounts of financial help to medically underserved Arkansas men and women who need breast health services. Its mission is to help reduce the death rate of breast cancer in Arkansas, and to reduce the negative impact of breast cancer on the lives of medically underserved Arkansas women and their families. The program began as YWCA EncorePlus in 1996.
In its 19-year history, Encore has worked with more than 15,000 low income women to educate them about breast cancer and help them access screening or diagnostic exams and treatment and survivor follow-up. Encore has reached 199,000 women with information about breast cancer and early detection. 241 women were diagnosed with breast cancer after enrolling with Encore, receiving earlier diagnoses because of Encore’s help. Arkansas Department of Health has awarded Encore the Josetta Wilkins Award for Organization Service, and CancerCare awarded Encore a merit award for services to clients.
The Hickingbotham Award is named in honor of businessman Frank Hickingbotham and his family who were founding sponsors of the Arkansas Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Also awarded was the Promise of One Awards, established in 2007 by Komen for the Cure national, presented to two local individuals each year in recognition of their exceptional volunteer contribution. Long time volunteers Isabelle Monroe and Coco Dorsey were recipients.

Komen for the Cure was established as the Komen Foundation in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Thanks to more than 75,000 volunteers dedicated to the fight against breast cancer, Komen for the Cure with its Affiliate Network is the world’s largest private funder of community-based breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs. Together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and donors, Komen for the Cure has raised over one billion dollars for the fight against breast cancer. # # #

1st Choice Healthcare, Inc. announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its nationally-recognized standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. 1st Choice Healthcare, Inc. underwent a rigorous, unannounced on-site survey in April 2015. During the survey, a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with ambulatory care standards related to a variety of areas, including coordination of care, monitoring for procedures, infection prevention and control, management of medications, and patient education and training.