The MLK Community Medical Group, the outpatient physicians practice affiliated with MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH), has received a prestigious three-year accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its efforts to ensure that patients in the underserved community of South Los Angeles receive high-quality, coordinated care.
The NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations nationwide.
MLKCH doctors received a perfect score in the rigorous accreditation process.
“It’s a recognition of the high-quality work our physicians provide to our high-need community,” said Kurt Stauder, president of the MLK Community Medical Group. “We are a place that our community trusts to provide excellent, comprehensive and coordinated care.”
The accreditation is a recognition of the integrated nature of patient care at MLK Community Healthcare’s three physician practice sites. A team-based approach, in which patients are assessed and treated for both primary and secondary diagnoses, means that MLKCH patients are often seen by two or more providers and may also receive behavioral healthcare support.
Patient outcomes improve and costs are reduced in an individuals’ journey through the health care system is coordinated, according to the NCQA.
NCQA Accreditation standards are intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible and create an environment of continuous improvement. MLKCH received 100 out of 100 points for a wide range of quality-related scores, including having systems and processes in place that encourage whole-person care, including synchronized medical records, good communication among providers, and high participation rates among patients.
“Patients do better if all the issues that stand in the way of their health are addressed, not just the primary diagnosis,” said Stauder. “At MLKCH, we pride ourselves on considering the whole patient and providing the kind of integrated support they need to heal.”
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