Quality and Performance

Best of health, close to home.

Primary Care First Program

Horizon Family Medical Group is committed to providing the Primary Care First is based on the underlying principles of the existing CPC+ model design: prioritizing the doctor-patient relationship; enhancing care for patients with complex chronic needs and high need, seriously ill patients, and focusing on improved health outcomes. Primary Care First addresses these needs by creating a seamless continuum of care and Horizon is tentatively looking at the program, keeping the COVID-19 pandemic in mind. Our community needs us more than ever to help our patients through these times. Horizon has to prioritize helping the community safely navigate through COVID-19 first, then figure out what resources and time it can provide towards other programs. Horizon will provide updates to our patients, if and when we do decide to join the PCF program.

Quality and Performance

Horizon Family Medical Group is committed to providing the highest quality care to our patients and their families. We participate in a variety of nationally recognized programs that help us improve care delivery to our patients. These programs focus on providing higher quality care more efficiently and at a lower cost. By participating in these programs and striving to ensure we provide the best care possible, Horizon Family Medical Group can continually improve the way we deliver care and better engage patients and families in their care. For more information on the great work that Horizon Family Medical Group is doing to improve quality and performance, check out our bulletin boards in our offices. Below are other examples of quality and performance initiatives at Horizon Family Medical Group.

Quality and Performance Committee

National Committee for Quality Assurance

Horizon Family Medical Group developed a Quality and Performance Committee in 2014 to further work with our providers, staff, and patients to oversee the commitment to continuous quality, performance, and process improvements across all Horizon Family Medical Group offices. The Quality and Performance Committee also leverages nationally recognized guidelines and evidence-based medicine to develop best practices that further help improve and evolve our care delivery to patients. If you are interested in participating as a patient member in our Quality and Performance Committee, please call your Primary Care Provider.

Patient-Centered Medical Home

National Committee for Quality Assurance

Horizon Family Medical Group has developed a Patient-Centered Medical Home, which is a model of primary care where our patients and their families are the centers of our practice! Patient and family needs are our guiding principle. This means that we focus on the relationship between patients and their families and their primary care provider; actually the relationship between patients and families and every person they come in contact with at Horizon Family Medical Group. The Patient-Centered Medical Home model simply refers to the fact that patient and family care will be coordinated here, in the right place, at the right time, and in the manner that best suits care needs for patients and families with primary care providers, These providers, and their care team members will help coordinate patient and family care with other providers, health facilities, and hospitals. And, patients and families are part of our team too. Horizon Family Medical Group’s Patient-Centered Medical Home model will ultimately help us to work with you to get you the healthiest you can be!

For more information on the program please reach out to our PCMH representatives Donna Shaughnessy and Rinku Singh
at 1-800-859-0085, Option 5

Patient Centered Specialty Practice

National Committee for Quality Assurance

The Patient-Centered Specialty Practice is a model of specialty care where you are the center of our specialty practices! We are extending our primary care patient-centered medical home to our specialty care practices to provide you and your families with a Horizon patient-centered medical neighborhood. The Patient-Centered Specialty Practice model simply refers to the fact that patient and family care will be coordinated here, in the right place, at the right time, and in the manner that best suits care needs across all types of specialties.

For patients and families with specialty care providers, such as cardiologists, dermatologists, or allergists,  will work closely with primary care providers, acting as the leaders of the health care team. They will help coordinate patient and family care with other providers, health facilities, and hospitals. And, patients and families are part of our team too.

Horizon Family Medical Group is working on all of these steps to become recognized under the Patient-Centered Specialty Care program, which will again help us to ensure you are the healthiest you can be!

Surveys

National Committee for Quality Assurance

As part of our Quality of Care initiative, Horizon Family Medical participates in CAHPS surveys to help us measure our patients' experience. CAHPS are patient experience surveys that measure experiences with, and ratings of, health care providers and plans.

Horizon Family Medical participates in The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Surveys, which are developed to collect information about patient experience and care within the group practice. The yearly CAHPS Survey collects data through two survey mailings and follow-up phone calls to non-respondents to measure beneficiaries’ experiences of care.

The CAHPS Survey focuses on items such as:

  • Getting Timely Care, Appointments, and Information
  • How Well Providers Communicate
  • Patient’s Rating of Provider
  • Access to Specialists
  • Health Promotion and Education
  • Shared Decision Making (Patient Engagement)
  • Health Status/Functional Status
  • Courteous and Helpful Office Staff
  • Care Coordination
  • Between Visit Communication
  • Helping You to Take Medication as Directed
  • Stewardship of Patient Resources

Note: There are 80 questions defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that are administered in the survey. If you could graciously participate, if you are selected for the Survey, it would be greatly appreciated. If you have any further questions regarding the surveys please contact a Horizon Office.

Meaningful Use Initiative

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Meaningful Use is an initiative developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is focused on appropriately and efficiently using the electronic health record (EHR) to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities. It focuses on improving care coordination between population and public health and helps maintain privacy and security of patient health information. Ultimately, it is hoped that meaningful use compliance will result in better clinical outcomes, improved population health outcomes, increased transparency and efficiency, empowered individuals, and more robust research data on health systems.

Enhanced Personal Health Care Program

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield

Horizon Family Medical Group was one of the first provider organizations in New York to participate in the Enhanced Personal Health Care Program. The program focuses on leveraging primary care physicians and their practice teams, using appropriate patient care tools, ensuring accurate information, and appropriately using resources. As such, Horizon Family Medical Group is better equipped to treat patients and reduce healthcare costs. Through participation in this program, Horizon Family Medical Group has improved preventive and chronic care of its patients through coordinated efforts between its physicians, care teams, and the offices, while attaining high-quality results for patient care and lowering healthcare costs.

Medicare Star Ratings Program

United Healthcare

Horizon Family Medical Group has partnered with United Healthcare to improve the quality of care for its patients by improving patient engagement efforts and implementing nationally recognized clinical and service quality measures. These measures emphasize focus on improving preventive medicine and chronic conditions. In 2014 Horizon Family Medical Group made great strides in this program, achieving superior quality ratings for adult body mass index assessments, rheumatoid arthritis management, kidney disease monitoring in diabetics, and management of high-risk medications.

Together2Goal

Did you know approximately 29.1 million people have diabetes? Of these, 90-95% of diagnosed adults have Type 2 diabetes, and nearly 1 in 4 people with diabetes don’t even know they have it. Nationally, this number is expected to continue to grow. In an effort to address these alarming statistics, Horizon Family Medical Group has joined with the AMGA Foundation in the fight against Type 2 diabetes through the Together 2 Goal® campaign. By participating in the campaign, our organization is uniting with hundreds of other medical groups, health systems, and organized systems of care to collectively improve care for millions of people with Type 2 diabetes. Our organization will advance our efforts to empower patients, improve care delivery, and leverage information technology to address Type 2 diabetes in our community. To learn more visit, www.together2goal.org and discover ways to get involved.