Community Care Teams Key to Maine Patient-Centered Medical Home Pilot Project

The conveners of the Maine Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot Project, the Dirigo Health Agency's Maine Quality Forum, Maine Quality Counts (QC), and the Maine Health Management Coalition announced that 50 primary care practices from across the state were selected for participation in the expansion of the Maine PCMH Pilot. The second phase of the Maine PCMH Project began on January 1, 2013.  The Selection Committee received more than two applications for each available opening in the pilot program from primary care practices throughout Maine. The large number of applications created an extremely competitive selection process.  Selected practices reflect a diversity of ownership, size, and geographic location. QC kicked off the pilot with a gathering in November 2012, and now has initiated a monthly webinar program for accepted practices. The interest in the pilot project reflects a strong commitment by the primary care practice community in Maine to move towards a more patient centered, high-value model of care.  One key element in the PCMH Pilot Project is the incorporation of Community Care Teams. Community Care Teams (CCT) are multi-disciplinary, community-based, practice-integrated care management teams that will work closely with the PCMH Pilot practices to provide enhanced services for the most complex, most high-needs patients in each practice.  The CCT model had been established and found to be highly successful in other communities and states, like North Carolina, New York and Vermont. They are a vital strategy for improving quality and reducing costs, decreasing avoidable hospital admissions, readmissions and emergency department visits.

For more information on the PCMH pilot, visit http://www.mainequalitycounts.org/