URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation, education and measurement programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. In that regard, URAC has developed their Patient Centered Health Care Home (PCHCH) Practice Achievement Program.

URAC’s definition of a PCHCH is:

·         A practice which is quality driven with an inter-professional clinician-led team approach to delivering and coordinating care that puts patients, family members, and personal caregivers at the center of all decisions concerning the patient’s health and wellness.

·         One that is able to provide comprehensive and individualized access to physical health, behavior health, and supportive community and social services, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right setting at the right time.

Importance of receiving URAC’s PCHCH Practice Achievement 

·         Provides national and/or international recognition of practices for their effort in the patient centered movement

·         Delivers on the essentials of health care transformation within a practice by focusing on the Joint Principles of the PCMH, including access to services, coordination of care across the continuum, improving quality and a patient centeredness approach to care.

·         Sets foundation for a patient centered neighborhood leading to the creation of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO)

·         Provides the opportunity of additional compensation from various health plans

PTI was the first organization to receive URAC’s PCHCH national and international auditor certification.