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Primary care innovators receive awards totaling $2.6 million from Arkansas Blue Cross

More than 100 primary care clinics throughout Arkansas participating in two value-based programs that encourage innovation in patient care have earned annual financial awards from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The three programs are:

  • Primary Care First (PCF) – an initiative of the federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation and the latest iteration of the agency’s Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) program
  • Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) – a team-based healthcare delivery model that seeks to provide comprehensive and continuous medical care to patients with a goal to obtain optimal health outcomes

The PCF and PCMH programs provide financial resources to encourage primary care clinics to test ideas that advance patient care, improve outcomes and reduce low-value care.

For meeting performance goals, 101 participating PCMH and PCF clinics, representing 580 healthcare providers (caring for 88,131 attributed Arkansas Blue Cross members) will share in more than $2.6 million being awarded by Arkansas Blue Cross. Each clinic met or exceeded its 2022 PCMH and PCF clinical quality and utilization measure targets by focusing on:

  • Reducing avoidable hospital admissions and nonemergent emergency department visits
  • Quality of care

“Primary care is vital,” said Alicia Berkemeyer, executive vice president and chief health management officer for Arkansas Blue Cross. “Innovation is a crucial element of promoting good health and preventing or limiting the impact of disease. These providers have employed creative tactics that produced impressive results.”

Launched in 2017, CPC+ was a national advanced primary care medical home model that aimed to strengthen primary care through regionally based multi-payer payment reform. The CPC+ program ended on December 31, 2021.

Primary Care First started in 2021 with a small number of clinics. Many CPC+ practices joined the program in 2022, once they completed the CPC+ program. PCF continues to strengthen primary care services and introduces risk and capitation to the payment model.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home program is a model to deliver and organize  healthcare that helps to improve the patient’s experience of care, improve the health of populations and reduce or control the costs of healthcare.

Both the CMH and PCF models put the primary care provider and patient at the center of the healthcare system and allows patients to be informed about their care and be more in control of their health.

In the midst of the pandemic in 2021, members served by providers in these programs had lower rates for emergency department visits and inpatient admissions and received more preventive care than people not served by participating providers.

PCF and PCMH emphasize the following comprehensive primary care areas of focus:

  • Access and continuity
  • Care management
  • Comprehensiveness and coordination
  • Patient and caregiver engagement
  • Planned care and population health

PCF and PCMH provide practices with a robust learning system, as well as actionable data feedback to guide their decision-making. The care delivery redesign seeks to deliver better care and produce a healthier patient population.

Arkansas PCMH clinics receiving 2022 awards

Clinic nameCity 
Baptist Health Arkadelphia Arkadelphia
King Medical ClinicAshdown
The Children's Clinic Batesville
Saline Med-Peds Group, Inc.Benton
Living Tree Pediatrics, PLLCBentonville
Cabot Medical CareCabot
Clarksville Family Medical CenterClarksville
Ozark Medical & Pediatric ClinicClinton
Arkansas Pediatrics of ConwayConway
B. Brooks Lawrence, M.D., PAConway
Banister Lieblong ClinicConway
Conway Children's ClinicConway
Conway Regional Medical Clinic - Prince StreetConway
Freeman Family Clinic Conway
Hilman Family Clinic, PAConway
TLC Pediatrics, PLLCConway
Barry V. Thompson, M.D., PACrossett
The Kirkland Family Medical Center, PADardanelle
SAMA Healthcare Services, PAEl Dorado
Keystone Family ClinicFort Smith
Mercy Clinic Fort Smith Communities Fort Smith
Cornerstone Medical ClinicHarrison
Hometown Doc, PAHarrison
Baptist Health - Heber Springs Campus ClinicHeber Springs
Baptist Health Family Clinic - Heber SpringsHeber Springs
Family Medicine Clinic, PAHot Springs
Harmony Park Family Medical, PLLCHot Springs
Jacksonville Medical CareJacksonville
Family Physicians of Jonesboro, PLLCJonesboro
St. Bernards First Care - MatthewsJonesboro
St. Bernards First Care - Parker RoadJonesboro
Arkansas Pediatric Clinic, PLLCLittle Rock
Autumn Road Family Practice, PALittle Rock
Benny J. Green, M.D., PALittle Rock
CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic ClinicLittle Rock
Little Rock Children's ClinicLittle Rock
St. Vincent Physicians Clinic, LLCLittle Rock
Magnolia Pediatrics Clinic, Inc. Magnolia
Healthy Connections MalvernMalvern
Boston Rural Mountain Health CenterMarshall
Melbourne Medical ClinicMelbourne
Jefferson Regional Monticello Medical ClinicMonticello
Woodside Medical Monticello
CHI St. Vincent MorriltonMorrilton
Morrilton Medical ClinicMorrilton
Lincoln Paden Medical ClinicMountain Home
Regional Family MedicineMountain Home
James E. Zini, D.O., PAMountain View
Child & Adolescent Medical ClinicParagould
Paragould Pediatrics Paragould
Baptist Health Family Clinic - PrescottPrescott
Mercy Health Northwest CommunitiesRogers
Ozark PediatricsRogers
Rogers Family & Occupational Medicine ClinicRogers
Conway Regional Medical Clinic - RusselvilleRusselville
Monfee Medical Clinic, PARusselville
1st Choice Healthcare - SalemSalem
Family Practice AssociatesSearcy
Searcy Medical CenterSearcy
Unity Health - Westside Family Medical ClinicSearcy
The Pediatric ClinicSherwood
Community Physicians Group Siloam Springs
Baptist Health Family Clinic - SparkmanSparkman
Olsen ClinicSpringdale
St. Bernards First Care - TrumannTrumann
Hamby & Hamby Family Wellness Clinic, PLLCVan Buren
Pointer Trail Family ClinicVan Buren
East Arkansas Family Health CenterWest Memphis
Family Health Associates of Southwest ArkansasWhite Hall 
St. Bernards First Care - TrumannTrumann

Arkansas PCF clinics receiving 2022 awards

Clinic nameCity
Baptist Health Family Clinic - CabotCabot
Internal Medicine DiagnosticsCherokee Village
Baptist Health Pediatric Clinic - Conway Conway
Robin P. Ray, M.D.El Dorado
Family Clinic Farmington - Washington RegionalFarmington
Family Clinic Fayetteville - Washington Regional Fayetteville
Medical Associates of Northwest ArkansasFayetteville
Pediatric Partners, PAFort Smith
Glenwood Family MedicineGlenwood
Harrison Family Practice Clinic - Washington Regional Harrison
Unity Health - Medical Clinic Heber SpringsHeber Springs
Fountain Lake Family MedicineHot Springs
Hamilton West Family Medicine Hot Springs
Lake Hamilton Family MedicineHot Springs
Lakeside Family MedicineHot Springs
NEA Baptist ClinicJonesboro
All for Kids Pediatric Clinic, PALittle Rock
Baptist Health Family Clinic - HilcrestLittle Rock
Baptist Health Family Clinic - West Little Rock
Mitchell Family Medicine, LLCMarion
North Central Arkansas Medical Associates, PAMountain Home
Baptist Health Family Clinic - LakewoodNorth Little Rock
Baptist Health Family Medicine Residency ClinicNorth Little Rock
Baptist Health Internal Medicine ClinicNorth Little Rock
North Hills Family Medical CenterNorth Little Rock
Pocahontas Medical Clinic, PAPocahontas
St. Mary's Physician Services, LLCRusselville
Sherwood Family Medical CenterSherwood 
Collom & Carney Clinic Texarkana
Sophia Meyer Family Medicine Van Buren
White Hall Family Medicine Associates - Mark A. Ramiro, M.D.White Hall