Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics Earns National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care

ATLANTA and WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced that Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics of Marietta, Georgia has been certified as a Level-III NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term, participative relationships.

The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients' experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient's care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.

"NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "Recognition shows that Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time."

"Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics is committed to providing the highest quality care, so we are extremely pleased to be recognized by NCQA," said Robin Cahill-Roberts, CEO Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics. "As a recognized Level-III Patient-Centered Medical Home, we have demonstrated a commitment to partner with our patients to help them achieve optimum health and wellness. I'd like to thank WellCare for the counsel and support they provided, which was invaluable to our ability to participate in and complete this transformative process."

To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics demonstrated the ability to meet the program's key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.

"WellCare of Georgia established an initiative to assist practices in becoming recognized by NCQA to increase the number of practices committed to fostering strong physician-patient relationships, encouraging proactive care coordination and increasing quality of care in Georgia," said Gwen Wyles, WellCare's director, product operations, who manages the Enhanced PCMH Initiative program. "We'd like to congratulate Nuestros Ninos, Our Kids Pediatrics for their effort to consistently provide quality care at the highest level."

WellCare of Georgia, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), and NCQA have partnered to provide a discount to health care practices in Georgia that seek recognition as a PCMH using NCQA's criteria. For more information about receiving the discount, participating providers should contact WellCare of Georgia at PCMH_GA@wellcare.com.

To find clinicians and their practices with NCQA PCMH Recognition, visit recognition.ncqa.org.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Sept. 30, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nuestros-ninos-our-kids-pediatrics-earns-national-recognition-for-patient-centered-care-300377994.html

SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.