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Penobscot Community Health Care and Altarum Institute Forge Innovative Partnership to Improve Patient Care and Services

BANGOR, Maine - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) and Altarum Institute have announced a unique partnership to improve patient care and further the advancement of PCHC's ongoing efforts to implement the "patient-centered medical home" (PCMH) model.

During the 18 month-long project, Altarum plans to apply "lean" management techniques to support and improve primary care at PCHC. "Lean" is a business management technique employed to improve efficiency and reduce waste in business processes, and its use in the health care field is relatively new. Altarum and PCHC will work together to create a flexible environment to test evidence-based methods of improvement within a select number of care teams. A team-based approach to care is an important component of the patient-centered medical home model.

The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance the overall performance of PCHC care teams and to improve the patient experience. The lessons gained from working with the select group of teams will assist PCHC in developing an optimal team building process that can be adapted throughout the organization.

"Penobscot Community Health Care is not only a mission driven primary health care organization, but from its beginnings has had the patient at the center of all that it does. So, when the major medical academies endorsed and advocated for the establishment of a 'patient-centered medical home' nationwide, PCHC was already engaged in that model," said Rev. Robert T. Carlson, President of Penobscot Community Health Care. "We are grateful to Altarum Institute for selecting us as one of four community health centers to work with and develop innovative PCMH initiatives and processes. PCHC seeks to continue to be on the cutting edge of primary care in our region."

The partnership with PCHC is a part of Altarum's Community Health Center Innovation Mission Project Initiative. The Innovation Mission Project Initiative is a two-year, multi-million dollar collaborative philanthropy effort in which Altarum assists select community health centers improve patient care in innovative ways by contributing staff expertise directly to the centers. In addition to PCHC, Altarum is partnering with three other Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) around the country.

"During a time of great debate about the health care system in our nation, we recognize that community health centers like Penobscot are an extraordinary example of something that is working well in the American health care system," said Lincoln Smith, President and CEO of Altarum. "By directly combining Altarum-funded consulting expertise with Penobscot's focus on patients, we hope not only to improve the care for the thousands of patients they serve, but learn some lessons that can be shared with other community health centers around the country. Altarum is very excited about this mission project and we thank Penobscot Community Health Care for joining with us in this effort."

PCHC is one of the largest FQHCs in New England and is among the largest primary care practices in Maine. PCHC serves approximately 50,000 patients, over half the population of the greater Bangor region. About one third of the population has incomes below 200% of the poverty line. PCHC's 380 employees serve their communities supported by a budget of about $24 million.

Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. A nonprofit serving clients in the public and private sectors, Altarum employs more than 350 individuals and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with additional offices in the Washington, D.C. area; Atlanta, Georgia; Portland, Maine; and San Antonio, Texas.

This week, August 9-15, is "National Health Center Week." Sponsored by the National Association of Community Health Centers, the week is dedicated to recognizing the service and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless, and Public Housing Health Centers in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost-effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people in the U.S.

Sarah Dubay (for PCHC)
207-945-5247 ext. 402
or
Jonathan Orr (for Altarum)
703-575-1215