Hospital for Special Care Earns Patient Centered Specialty Practice Designation for Parkinson’s Care, Movement Disorders
January 13, 2020Hospital for Special Care Earns Patient Centered Specialty Practice Designation for Parkinson’s Care, Movement Disorders
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Hospital for Special Care (HFSC) as a Patient Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) in Neurology. HFSC is the first and only organization to receive the PCSP designation in neurology in Connecticut to date.
“Parkinson’s disease impacts about one million Americans and approximately 60,000 individuals will be diagnosed with the disease in 2020,” said Adam Simmons, MD, DABIHM. Dr. Simmons, a movement disorder specialist, directs the center’s multidisciplinary care team with colleague Sadaf Khorasani, MD a neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist.
“The highly coordinated and holistic model of care we have developed goes beyond symptom management to prioritize overall well-being,” said Dr. Simmons. Patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders may experience tremors, slowed movement, impaired balance, speech and swallowing difficulties, stiffness, mood changes and other symptoms.
The HFSC program, supported by a $1.2 million, four year grant from the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, has created a comprehensive care team that includes occupational, physical and aquatic therapists, speech language pathologists, nurse care coordinators and other specially trained professionals. The program also includes acupuncture, deep brain stimulation, clinical trials and research as well as LSVT BIG®, LSVT LOUD®, PWR!®, SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD® Crowd programs to help patients maintain or improve movement, function, breathing, and speech. Support and resource groups ensure both patients and their families connect with peers and other natural supports.
“The investment the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation has made in Hospital for Special Care has been critical to our capacity to establish this center of excellence for Parkinson’s and movement disorders and has advanced patient care and clinical research that will ultimately benefit thousands of patients with neurological disorders,” said Lynn Ricci, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of HFSC. “We are extremely proud of the entire clinical and administrative team for this achievement.”
“NCQA Patient-Centered Specialty Practice Recognition distinguishes practices that communicate, collaborate and integrate care in ways that patients want and that improve quality,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “I commend the team at Hospital for Special Care for its achievement, and for its commitment to continuous improvement.”
Practices that become recognized under Patient-Centered Specialty Practice Recognition have demonstrated commitment to patient-centered care and clinical quality through: streamlined referral processes and care coordination with referring clinicians, timely patient and caregiver-focused care management and continuous clinical quality improvement. Earning NCQA Patient-Centered Specialty Practice Recognition shows consumers, private payers and government agencies that the practice has undergone a rigorous review of its capabilities and is committed to sharing information and coordinating care. Recognition also signals to primary care practices that the specialty practice is ready to be an effective partner in caring for patients.