Accrediting organizations and health care experts across the country recognize that physician-led health care teams — communicating across facilities and settings — can help to improve quality, service and clinical outcomes. While the concept of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) may be a new buzzword for some, Kaiser Permanente has embraced this integrated model for more than 50 years.

This longstanding commitment was recently recognized when Kaiser Permanente became the first multi-site health care organization in Hawaii to receive Level 3 PCMH recognition for all 16 of our primary care clinics and providers.

This honor came from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a nonprofit organization responsible for recognizing quality in health care organizations throughout the United States.

Many U.S. health care experts believe that PCMH is the model of the future for health care in America. It defines the level and quality of care that we, as an industry, strive to consistently deliver to our patients. The patient-centered approach is surprisingly simple, it works like this: As a patient, you’re cared for by your own personal physician, who is supported by an entire team of health care professionals. Everyone on your team has a role in caring for you, and all of the activity — prevention, office visits, lab tests, phone calls, emails and referrals — is orchestrated by your doctor and his or her partners.

Technology also plays a large role in PCMH. With the world’s largest civilian electronic health record system, we have a tremendous amount of data; however, it is the ability to sort, filter and transform the data into valuable information that really creates a patient-centered experience. These electronic tools enable us to provide personalized care and ensure that patients receive the right care when and where they need it, and in a manner that is culturally appropriate and clearly understandable to them.

PCMH advances health care for all of Hawaii. It raises the standard of care in our community, and signals to patients and their families that they can confidently put their trust in PCMH-recognized health systems and providers who work closely with them and with each other to anticipate and meet all of their health care needs.

Recognition by the NCQA is an honor shared across our team of primary care physicians, clinical staff and everyone throughout the entire health care system. We are pleased to see that other health care institutions are also pursuing PCMH recognition and we look forward to the day when every patient in the state belongs to a patient-centered medical home. It will create stronger patient-physician relationships, better health care outcomes, and a more robust and connected health care infrastructure.