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TransforMED in the News

Feb 18, 2010 - Real Life Practice Transformation - A Family Practice Management blog
» What is your practice's service philosophy?
"This question is worth answering for your practice. It should be a part of your vision and mission statements. After all, each practice is essentially a business delivering services and sometimes products to customers. Having – and practicing – a service philosophy is crucial to doing well..."

Feb 5, 2010 - Modern Medicine
» 10 EHR lessons from 10 practices
"...We asked 10 practices to reveal the best lessons they learned from their electronic health record (EHR) adoption experiences. Although the lessons are different, the physicians and practice managers with whom we spoke echoed Hager's comments: do your research. Take time to investigate the systems and what each would mean for your practice..."

Jan 11, 2010 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Free Webinars Explore the Melding of Medicine, Health IT
"... In an effort to give physicians the tools they need to transition to the use of health information technology, or health IT, in their practices, TransforMED, in partnership with the AMA, is launching a series of free weekly webinars. The initiative "Health IT to Support the Doctor-Patient Relationship" begins on Jan. 14 at noon CST and continues each Thursday through Feb. 4... "

Dec 9, 2009 - The New Physician
» Help wanted?
"... the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), is getting plenty of attention, even in the White House. The program is intended to re-design primary care practices in order to serve patients in a more comprehensive way. "We are trying to move medicine from organ-specific to patient-specific to get away from the individual physician toward a care team," says Dr. Terry McGeeney, president and CEO of TransforMED, an initiative of the AAFP designed to help physicians and their practices adopt the PCMH philosophy. Though the PCMH concept is still being studied and evaluated, the ideas that drive it are already being implemented in a variety of ways.... "

December 2009 - Best Practices and Innovative Healthcare Reform Models | The American Journal of Managed Care
» A Guide to the Medical Home as a Practice-Level Intervention (PDF)
The Guide to the Medical Home as a Practice-Level Intervention, is one of five reports in the Best Practices and Innovative Healthcare Reform Models supplement to The American Journal of Managed Care.

Nov 26, 2009 - Kansas City Business Journal
» Pilot program aims to help area doctors retool practices
"A new health initiative aims to do locally what Congress is trying to do nationally. A two-year pilot program through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Leawood-based American Academy of Family Physicians' TransforMED subsidiary aims to retool the operations of 13 participating primary care practices. A $1 million investment from Blue Cross will finance the effort... "

Nov 24, 2009 - Kansas City Star
» TransforMED hires Payne as COO
"Donna Payne is the new COO for TransforMED, a subsidiary of the Leawood-based American Academy of Family Physicians. Payne will focus on business development and strategic partnerships, TransforMED said in a release Tuesday. Payne joins TransforMED from her role as senior vice president with Child Health Corp. of America, a Mission-based business alliance of the nation's largest children’s hospitals."

Nov 18, 2009 - Medscape Today | Medscape Family Medicine
» The Future of the Patient-Centered Medical Home: An Expert Interview With Terry McGeeney, MD, MBA
The patient-centered medical home is a way to provide primary healthcare across a continuum of referrals and services that is based on the relationship between patient and physician, and is intended to improve the patient's overall health. To learn more about the patient-centered medical home and its future, Medscape Family Medicine talked to TransforMED president and CEO, Terry McGeeney, MD, MBA.

Nov 18, 2009 - Kansas City Star
» Pilot project may revolutionize how health care is managed
"The two-year program, backed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Leawood-based TransforMED, involves 13 primary care, family practice and pediatric medical practices. The practices will get help adopting the new setup, which will include use of electronic medical records to coordinate care. And by the time the study is complete, Blue Cross has pledged to change the way it compensates those doctors. The changes are "fairly dramatic...not just picking at the edges or tweaking things," said Terry McGeeney, the president and chief executive of TransforMED..."

Nov 16, 2009 - Health Data Management
» KC Blues to Sponsor Medical Home Pilot
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Mo.) and the TransforMED consulting subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians will conduct a pilot program of the medical home model with 13 primary care physician group practices in the region..."

Nov 12, 2009 - Kansas City Business Journal
» Kansas City-area physicians join for patient-care project
"Thirteen Kansas City-area primary-care physician practices are participating in a two-year pilot project designed to improve patient care, organizers said Thursday. The patient-centered medical home pilot is a joint effort of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and TransforMED, a subsidiary of Leawood-based American Academy of Family Physicians..."

Nov 12, 2009 - FierceHealthcare
» Missouri Blue plan kicks off medical home pilot
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Mo., has partnered with a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians to launch a medical home pilot. The Blue plan is rolling out the pilot to 13 primary-care groups around the Kansas City metro. To help make the project a success, it's working with the AAFP's TransforMED..."

Nov 3, 2009 - Center for American Progress
» Expanding the Primary Care Workforce - An Essential Element of Health Care Reform
"Congress is in the throes of developing legislation to provide quality affordable health for all Americans. Discussion throughout the debate has questioned whether there are sufficient primary care professionals to provide services for the newly insured individuals, since the nation's primary care heath workforce is already stretched. This is a concern, but targeted policy changes can begin to strengthen and expand this sector, which is the backbone of the health care system..."

Oct 28, 2009 - Washington Post / Associated Press
» Could 'medical homes' bring order to health care?
"A thousand miles from the health care debate in Washington, Dr. Don Klitgaard and his colleagues are carrying out their own reform in a small Iowa community. They've reorganized their clinic so nurses bird-dog patients whose health problems, if ignored, could send them to the emergency room. And for all their patients, they've invested in a computer system that tracks leading indicators of health problems, like blood pressure and blood sugar readings..."

Oct 28, 2009 - www.histalkpractice.com
» HIS Talk Practice News 10/22/09
"TransforMED, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AAFP, partners with Welch Allyn to help physicians pick their EHR vendor. Even though my initial (cynical) reaction was that practices would only be directed to vendors offering connections to Welch Allyn’s devices, the offering actually looks pretty good. Welch Allyn breaks out its EHR Prep-Select Program into three tiers, based on how much help each practice thinks its need. And, the consultants have solid experience. I’d be curious to hear feedback on their services."

Oct 11, 2009 - Parade Magazine
» A Team of Doctors Will See You Now
"More than 40 states and the District of Columbia have already enacted legislation promoting the implementation of the medical home in existing practices. "We're seeing hospital systems, multispecialty groups, and private practices start to commit resources to changing the way primary care operates," says Dr. Terry McGeeney, president and CEO of TransforMED, an organization that helps implement changes in medical practices..."

Sept 14, 2009 - Annals of Family Medicine
» AAFP Subsidiaries Launch New, Revamped Web Sites
"We started ... assisting practices with 'boots-on-the-ground' full facilitation in the NDP in 2006," said Terry McGeeney, MD, MBA, TransforMED’s president and CEO. However, the company found that this type of facilitation was labor intensive and expensive; it has been tweaking and perfecting its educational outreach to physicians ever since. The result is Delta-Exchange...

Sept 7, 2009 - Texas Academy of Family Physicians- tafp.org
»TransforMED launches new physician networking site
"TransforMED has launched the latest tool to aid physicians in transforming their practices into patient-centered medical homes. Delta-Exchange is a private, collaborative Web site where primary care practices can confer on projects; discuss issues, challenges and successes; ask questions; share practical knowledge and experiences; and work together to maintain the momentum for implementing TransforMED's recommended practice enhancements."

Sept 1, 2009 - Connecticut Medicine magazine
» "The Medical Home - Ready for Prime Time?"
William A. Handelman, MD, President of the Connectict State Medical Society reminisces on the past and looks toward the future of healthcare in this "personal insight" from Connecticut Medicine magazine.

Aug 31, 2009 - Healthcare Finance News
» Social networks may boost transition to medical homes
"Social networking sites are usually taboo in the workplace, but the launch of Delta-Exchange could encourage their use in the physician's office. The new site, introduced by TransforMED, a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians, is a collaborative networking site designed to help primary care practices and residency programs implement the patient-centered medical home model..."

Aug 31, 2009 - Kansas Connections - Summer 2009
» Smoky Hill pursues patient-centered model
"Family physicians at all stages of their careers are learning new and better ways to care for their patients," said Rick Kellerman, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. "The adoption of the medical home model at the residency level is particularly important because what the physicians learn in residency tends to translate into their 'real life' practice upon graduation."

Aug 31, 2009 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Academy's New Online Presentation Designed to Educate Medical Students About PCMH
"The Academy's Division of Medical Education and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine's, or STFM's, Group on Predoctoral Education have designed two new online resources for medical students that explain the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH, and its importance to family physicians."

Aug 24, 2009 - The Kansas City Nursing News
» Primary care nurses connect online
"Popular sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are not the only places nurses can network online. TransforMED created the Delta-Exchange as a place for health care workers in primary care offices to share ideas about patient-centered medical homes. Delta-Exchange literally means "change exchange" and is comparable to sites like Facebook or MySpace, except it is not centered on entertainment. Instead, the site is designed for professional communication..."

Aug 16, 2009 - familydocs.org
» CAFP Announces Partnership with TransforMED
The California Academy of Family Physicians and TransforMED "have agreed to provide consulting and services to California family physicians at a discounted rate. Some TransforMED services are low or no cost, including an extensive Web site that provides valuable information on transforming the medical office into a Patient Centered Medical Home..."

Aug 12, 2009 - pitchengine.com
» Medfusion Announces Partnership With Cielo MedSolutions
"...Dan McKean, Business Development Manager of TransforMED, medical home consultants, weighed in about this partnership saying, "Medfusion and Cielo's partnership is a positive step in supporting the basic technology tenets of the Patient-Centered Medical Home. By combining Cielo's registry functionality with Medfusion's patient outreach solution, practices have the potential of becoming high performing patient-centered practices..."

Aug 12, 2009 - iHealthBeat.org (a service of the CHCF)
» AAFP Subsidiary Debuts Networking Web Site on Medical Home Model
"...TransforMED unveiled a new Web site designed to help physicians network and obtain resources on transitioning to the medical home model. Users can access articles and post information to the site...."

Aug 11, 2009 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» TransforMED Launches Interactive Physician Networking Site
"...We listened to physicians across the country, and this is what they said they wanted -- a solution that is cheap, doesn't require a long-term commitment and lets practices 'dip a toe in the water' to get a feel for practice transformation," said McGeeney. He described Delta-Exchange as a "virtual, online learning community." The $30-per-month Delta Exchange member fee includes access to a variety of tools ..."

Aug 11, 2009 - HealthBlawg - David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog
» August 11th Blog Posting
"...Earlier today, I saw a demo of the site and heard a testimonial from an early adopter doc, and it seems that this could be a useful tool in disseminating information to far-flung smaller practices interested in adopting some or all of the approaches subsumed within the PCMH concept. ..."

Aug 11, 2009 - Modern Healthcare - modernhealthcare.com
» AAFP subsidiary unveils networking site for docs
"TransforMED, a wholly owned, for-profit subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians, has developed a networking Web site for helping primary-care practices implement the medical home model of care..."

Aug 10, 2009 - cnnMoney.com
» Health care's big money wasters
"More than $1.2 trillion spent on health care each year is a waste of money. Members of the medical community identify the leading causes." Dr. Terry McGeeney, TransforMED CEO and Family Physician, is quoted regarding the inefficiency of claims processing.

Aug 1, 2009 - Physicians Practice - physicianspractice.com
» How to Talk to Your Partners
TransforMED's Vice President of Practice Development and Organizational Change, Barbara C. Johnson, PhD talks to Physicians Practice about "how to effectively diffuse disagreements and preempt disputes"– especially important as practices evolve to a team model.

July 24, 2009 - Medical Economics
» Is becoming a medical home worth the trouble?
"From 2006 to 2008, Mambu took part in TransforMED, a national medical home project sponsored by the AAFP. That experience provided a head start on NCQA qualification, helping the practice achieve an optimal Level 3 rating in only six months. "

July 20, 2009 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» Building solid medical homes
AMAeditorial. "In this emerging model of health care, the AMA has focused on outlining the essential elements of providing the best care and the fairest funding."

July 14, 2009 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Advocacy: The Time is Now
A letter from the Association of Family Medicine Residency Director calls for attention to TransforMED's NDP learnings and concludes with a call for advocacy: "Of all health care costs, 50% are consumed by 5 diagnoses: asthma, diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease, and depression. This sounds like the afternoon schedule of every family physician in America! How can Washington or anyone else deny that the practicing family physician is equipped to lead the change? We are already doing it. The time is now to beat a drum in our state and nation’s capitals to create the rhythm of change."

July 14, 2009 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Transformation to the Patient-Centered Medical Home
Articles from the June issue regarding early learnings from TransforMED's PCMH National Demonstration Project generated an extensive online discussion on "how to organize practice and health care reform."

July 10, 2009 - Medical Economics
» Top-down, bottom-up, and medicine in the middle
Elizabeth A. Pector, MD. writes: "Look again at what patients want: simplicity and efficiency. Look at what doctors need: adequate compensation for what they already provide and user-friendly health IT that focuses less on documentation for payment and more on clinically meaningful parameters."

July 6, 2009 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» Medical homesteading: Moving forward with care coordination
Two participants in TransforMED National Demonstration Project (NDP) are spotlighted in this article: family physicians Robert Eidus, MD in Cranford, NJ and internist and family physician with the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Kim Leatham, MD.

June 2009 - Florida Academy of Family Physicians Journal
» Clear Objectives and Aligned Incentives – For Patients, Practices and Payors
TransforMED CEO, Dr. Terry McGeeney's views on health reform and the critical role played by primary care and the patient-cenetred medical home appear in the Summer edition of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians Journal. PDF Download.

May 29, 2009 - Healthcare IT News
» National Demonstration Project on PCMH releases new findings
"...'Small and/or rural practices may be better positioned to adopt technology because they are usually very nimble and self-sufficient,' the evaluators said. 'Also, the adoption of technology has usually been their own decision, not thrust upon them, so it is viewed as a personal investment. Because the private practices do not have the support system of a large system, the adoption of technology is viewed almost as a survival skill....'"

May 29, 2009 - iHealthBeat
» Small, Rural Practices Can Adopt Health IT Effectively, Study Finds
"Preliminary findings from the American Academy of Family Physicians' National Demonstration Project found that health IT such as electronic health records, Web portals and chronic disease registries can be implemented by a variety of practices, including small and rural offices..."

May 21, 2009 - Healthcare IT News
» Demo shows Medical Home needs tweaking
"...'The study showed that it's not just about implementing a bunch of components,' agreed Melissa Gerdes, MD, medical director of Trinity Clinic Whitehouse in Texas, which was part of the facilitated group. 'It's really about being responsive to needing to add those things and how to implement them without undermining workflow.' Technology is one of the humps that practices will need to get over as they begin to transform their practices, says Nutting. He says when he talks to practices about the changes they are making they say it is 'more of a journey than a destination'..."

May 13, 2009 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Health Care Stakeholders Struggle to Define 'Meaningful Use'
"...Terry McGeeney, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of TransforMED LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the AAFP, spoke at the NCVHS meeting. He told the committee that meaningful use should not dictate or mandate a comprehensive EHR. Instead, the definition should focus on the functionality and capabilities required by practices to provide high-quality, efficient health care to patients. 'The options for practices to identify and acquire 'a la carte' solutions should be the rule, not the exception,' said McGeeney."

April 30, 2009 - Government Health IT
» Health IT community debates 'meaningful use'
"...McGeeney recommended technologies that provide incremental value to physicians and put hospitals on the path toward comprehensive electronic health record systems. Health IT adoption could therefore be 'not a push phenomenon but a pull phenomenon,' he said."

April 29, 2009 - Health Data Management
» Physicians Weigh In on Stimulus Terms
Physician executives offered a wide range of advice to the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics in a Washington hearing on how to define 'meaningful use' of electronic health records...Terry McGeeney, M.D., president and CEO with the TransforMED unit of the American Academy of Family Physicians, suggested that the smallest group practices need a less rigorous standard for meaningful use than larger organizations..."

March 6, 2009 - Kansas City Business Journal
» TransforMed helps practices create patient-centered care
The American Academy of Family Physicians has launched a $12 million initiative that seeks to help primary-care physicians implement changes advocated by health care reformers and President Obama. Services offered by the AAFP subsidiary TransforMed are integral to the Aacademy's plans. TransforMED is working with roughly 200 practices nationwide...

March 2009 - AHIMA Journal - ahima.org (PDF)
» Residency Program to Teach Medical Home Model
An article about the Smoky Hill PCMH residency project from the Journal of American Health Information Management Association: "The future of family medicine is the medical home model, Freelove said, and it is important to start training residency students now on medical home techniques and operations so they can immediately implement the practices upon graduation."

March 2009 - medicalhomeforall.com
» Medical Home for All
A project of the Texas AFP, Medical Home for All provides links to resources for understanding the patient-centered medical home concept, studies and evidence that support the concept, as well as advocacy tools and more. The TransforMED homepage, MHIQ assessment and workingpapers are prominently featured among resources for becoming a certified medical home.

February 17, 2009 - AAFP News Now (ANN) Special Report
» Family Medicine Residencies Are Incorporating Medical Home Model
While most family medicine residencies have implemented some portion of the patient-centered medical home model, the 14 residencies taking part in the P4 initiative are well down the road when it comes to educating future family physicians in PCMH. Perhaps spurred by the early successes of P4 residencies, other residency programs are jumping on the PCMH bandwagon, as well. The article includes podcast interviews with residents from the Smoky Hill, Kansas residency program.

February 17, 2009 - mLive.com
» Priority Health pilots 'medical home' model
Chief Medical Officer, Jim Byrne explains why Priority Health decided to invest in a Patient-Centered Medical Home initiative and why the time is now: "We are at a very opportune moment right now. There is a great deal of interest in the cost and quality of health care," Byrne said. "This is the best moment to take this kind of action on. The system is broken and if you want to fix the house you need to start with the foundation."...

February 13, 2009 - Advance for LPNs - advanceweb.com
» Just What the Doctor Ordered
TransforMED CEO, Dr. Terry McGeeney discusses the practical value of technology in the Patient Centered Medical Home. This article also interviews Jane Horowitz, COO of the Health Information Technology and reviews real-world benefits of e-prescribing, population-based registries and Electronic Health Records.

February 6, 2009 - The New York Times
» UnitedHealth and I.B.M. Test Health Care Plan (PDF)
"Giving patients a medical home is meant to fix some of the major shortcomings of how health care is delivered and paid for in this country. Insurers now typically reward doctors for how much they do – how many tests or procedures they perform – rather than how effective their care is. Doctors are not paid to help their patients navigate myriad specialists, and no one is held accountable for making sure that patients' care is available whenever needed. "If the patient can't get into your office when sick and lands in the emergency room, it doesn’t matter that you did the blood test in your office," said Dr. Terry McGeeney, the chief executive of the consulting unit hired by UnitedHealth to work with the Arizona practices."

February 4, 2009 - U.S.News & World Report
» The State of America's Health (PDF)
TransforMED and family physician Dr. Susan Nelson of Harbor of Health – one of the facilitated NDP pilot practices – appear in this feature article that examines the root causes and potential solutions for America's healthcare crisis.

February 2, 2009 - Kansas Public Radio [AUDIO]
» The Future of Family Medicine
"Health reform is more than just a change in the way people pay for health care. People want improved access to care, and help with preventing and managing diseases. A doctor-training program in Salina has launched a 3-year project that might be the future of family medicine. Health Reporter Bryan Thompson has more as part of our series, Kansas Health: A Prescription for Change."

February 2, 2009 - Modern Healthcare
» TransforMED taps Fund official
Commonwealth Fund "officials gave the go-ahead to the appointment of Melinda Abrams, assistant vice president and director of the Commonwealth Fund’s Patient-Centered Primary Care Initiative, to the board of AAFP subsidiary TransforMED only after making sure it followed its conflict of interest policy."

February, 2009 - AAFP News Now (ANN) Special Report
» Patient-Centered Medical Home
AAFP News Now has assembled PCMH-related assets and resources such as self-education materials, guides, profiles of physician leaders and feature articles all together in one handy spot. Audio and video presentations are also available; one is a podcast interview with TransforMED CEO, Dr. Terry McGeeney.

January 21, 2009 - HealthLeadersMedia.com
» Want to Teach Docs New Tricks? Get 'em While They're Young
"...A big catalyst for changing healthcare delivery in the future will be in the hands of the residents being trained today. Understanding the difficulty of teaching old docs new tricks, the University of Kansas School of Medicine has opened a new medical home program at its Smoky Hills Family Medicine Residency Program in Salina, 90 miles north of Wichita. ..."

January 16, 2009 - Salina Journal - salina.com
» Smoky Hill medical residency program establishing medical practice management program
"A new model for managing family medical practices unveiled Friday by the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program in Salina could improve patient care and pay for doctors. Smoky Hill soon will become one of the first physician residency programs in the nation to offer medical students training in the Patient Centered Medical Home model of care....TransforMED, a subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians, focuses on medical practice redesign. It is helping guide Smoky Hill's transformation..."

January/February 2009 - Annals of Famaily Medicine
» STFM focuses activities on the Patient-Centered Medical Home
"TFM/AAFP Conference on Practice Improvement was held December 4–7, 2008, in Savannah, Georgia. The conference theme was, "Blueprint for the Medical Home" and the conference offered the practical skills, information, and resources enabling attendees to create the patient-centered medical home in their offices. We also be partnered with TransforMed to offer a 4-hour preconference session at the conference, Conference on Practice Improvement Learning Collaborative: A Partnership with TransforMED. ..."

January 7, 2009 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» 2008: The Year in Review
"2008 could well have been called the year of the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH. As increasing numbers of organizations, government agencies and officials, and private entities acknowledged the burgeoning U.S. health care crisis, the PCMH gained increasing prominence. From the halls of Congress, to privately funded think-tanks, to insurers, the cry became, 'Turn the focus back to primary care.'..."

January 1, 2009 - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
» Re: The Patient-Centered Medical Home Movement— Promise and Peril for Family Medicine
A response, via letter to the editor, by TransforMED NDP participant Joseph Mambu, MD, CMD, CHE of Family Medicine, Geriatrics and Wellness in Lower Gwynedd, PA to a JABFM commentary examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the Patient-Centered Medical Home.

December 1, 2008 - Trustee - www.trusteemag.com
» Home Sweet Medical Home
"...McGeeney says that it typically took physician practices six months to deal with leadership and cultural issues and reorganize care. But they eventually did better financially because, among other things, patients came in on a more timely basis and the practices started receiving payment for electronic visits. 'While large practices already have the resources in place, we found that the smaller the practice, the better position they are in to make changes,' McGeeney says. 'Everyone thought this would squeeze small practices out of the market, but I think the opposite will be true.'..."

November 19, 2008 - Midland Daily News - ourmidland.com
» Advocates: You deserve better medical care
"Patients need to demand better health care because the system is failing them, an advocate for patient-centered medical homes said this week during a visit to mid-Michigan. Terry McGeeney said the medical homes concept would put more power in patients' hands while providing better payment systems for providers, which could then focus more on wellness and disease prevention. The concept has gained support from the federal government, major insurance providers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and large corporations such as The Dow Chemical Co. Now it's time for the public to push for the change, McGeeney said..."

October 08, 2008 - NewsGuide.us
» TransforMED Collaborates with Cielo MedSolutions for Medical Homes
" Cielo MedSolutions, a software and web applications provider for the healthcare industry has signed a Preferred Business Affiliate agreement with TransforMED, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), to market each other's products. Cielo MedSolutions customers will have access to TransforMED's practice transformation services, and TransforMED will promote Cielo MedSolutions' Cielo Clinic™™ to medical practices implementing a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)...."

September/October, 2008 - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
» The Patient-Centered Medical Home Movement— Promise and Peril for Family Medicine
A commentary examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the Patient-Centered Medical Home by John C. Rogers, MD, MPH, MEd from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

September 10, 2008 - Businesswire
» First National Healthcare Incentives Institute Agenda and Speakers Announced for Oct 19-21, 2008, Washington, DC
The Institute is leading forum on incentives, pay for performance, gainsharing, transparency and payment reform in American healthcare. The event is collocated with the National Consumer Driven Healthcare Summit. Sponsors include: Bridges to Excellence, eHealth Initiative, Harvard Health Policy Review, Health Affairs, HealthTech, HFMA, Integrated Healthcare Association, the Leapfrog Group, TransforMED and many other leading organizations.

September 8, 2008 - PDF Press Release at GuidedCare.org
» Johns Hopkins to Assist Practices in Medicare Medical Home Demonstration
The Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health received a $1.7 million grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation to help medical practices qualify for and participate in CMS's three-year Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project...The Lipitz Center will partner with the American Academy of Family Physicians/TransforMED, the American College of Physicians (ACP), the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), and The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing.

August 20, 2008 - Businesswire
» TransforMED and Phytel Partner to Enhance Care Coordination for Primary Care Practices
"Phytel, the leader in automated patient care management, today announced an agreement with TransforMED., a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), to make its Proactive Patient Outreach solution available to participating physicians. Through this relationship, Phytel is a preferred business partner that provides patient outreach integrated with a patient registry to help TransforMED clients proactively manage preventive health and disease management protocols..."

August 15, 2008 - Medical Economics
» Medical home model improves efficiency, docs say
"Half of the selected practices were assigned expert facilitators from AAFP to implement the TransforMED changes, while the other half were self-directed – a split that drew contrasting reactions from the physician leaders. 'I don't think you can do it on your own,' admits Stephen Veit, a solo practice FP in Cherokee, Iowa, who had a facilitator. 'You need outside help. It's like trying to get over depression on your own. It might happen, but it's probably not the best way to do it.' ..."

July 13, 2008 - USA Today
» Old-fashioned docs inspire new 'medical homes'
"States, the federal government and private insurers are experimenting with an idea to cut costs and make patients happier: Paying primary-care doctors extra money to oversee and coordinate patients' care. The pay boost rewards doctors who reshape their practices to recreate an era when a trusted family physician helped patients through hospitalizations, coordinated specialist care and provided routine screenings. Such efforts may save money by reducing hospitalizations, ER visits and disease."

July 11, 2008 - Philadelphia Business Journal
» Family doctor is still prescribing change
"Dr. Joseph F. Mambu isn't done trying to transform the practice of primary-care medicine. The Montgomery County family practitioner and geriatrician just completed his two-year involvement in a national demonstration project that sought to reshape how family medicine is delivered."

July 8, 2008 - Clarion Ledger - Mississippi
» System facilitates visits to physicians
"When Loy Assell or members of her family want to see their doctor, they can get in within hours. If they need to cancel an appointment at the last minute, they can easily reschedule. The physician, Dr. Cynthia Kizer of Olio Road Family Care, and her colleagues keep about half their daily appointments open for last-minute patients, a system known as advanced open access. Though it may seem unorthodox, it is one of the models for a national experiment to transform and improve family practice for both patients and practitioners."

July 1, 2008 - American Way Magazine
» DIAGNOSIS: Doctor's Office Rebellion PRESCRIPTION: Put the patient first.
"What does this mean for you? Same-day appointments, no more sitting for hours in crowded waiting rooms, and -- gasp -- weekend availability from a doctor!"

July 1, 2008 - Family Practice News
» TransforMED's Lessons Hit Home
"After 2 years of consultations with practice management experts as part of the American Academy of Family Physicians TransforMED National Demonstration Project, Dr. Don Klitgaard says that he is well on his way to creating a true medical home within his practice. Registered nurses are no longer acting as schedulers, the practice successfully implemented an electronic health record, they have moved to an open-access scheduling policy, and they have health coaches to assist diabetic patients with chronic disease management... Two years later, Dr. Klitgaard said he and the rest of the physicians and staff in his practice are enjoying their jobs more and patients are more satisfied."

July/August 2008 - Annals of Family Medicine
» TransforMED's National Demonstration Project Concludes
" After nearly 2 years, TransforMED, a limited liability company wholly owned by the AAFP, marked the end of its national demonstration project (NDP) at an April meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. More than 70 family physicians and other health care professionals involved in the project attended."

June 6, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Medical Home Pilot Project - N.Y. Initiative Couples Payment and Practice Reform
"A medical home pilot project under way in New York state is the first such pilot in the country to link primary care practice reform with fundamental changes in physician payment methodology. Data gathered from the project could "ultimately -- hopefully -- save primary care," according to Brian Morrissey, VP of strategy and development for the Capital District Physicans' Health Plan Inc., or CDPHP."

June 2, 2008 - AMNews - Government & Medicine
» Higher Medicare pay earmarked for practices in medical home trial
If Medicare's upcoming medical home demonstration project heeds the advice of a respected AMA-convened panel, primary care physicians participating in the project could receive a variety of additional payments, including a monthly per-beneficiary fee. The increased compensation could total as much as $100,000 per year— depending on the degree to which participating practices have adopted the Medical Home concept.

May 2008 - AAMC Reporter
» A Community Approach to Resident Training and Patient Care
Preparing the Personal Physician for Practice (P4) residency innovators Hendersonville Family Practice Residency Program in Hendersonville, N.C. and the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network's Family Medicine Program in Allentown, Pa. are featured in this article about community context and team-based care changes to curricula.

May 28, 2008 - Family Practice Management
» 'Just-in-Time' Business Education for Family Physicians
Dr Dennis F. Saver, MD, a member of the AAFP Commission on Practice Enhancement and vice president of the FAFP Foundation asks: "What if our specialty, led by the AAFP, offered a business- management curriculum designed not for the resident but for the new physician?" The AAFP requires member/subscriber log-in to read this article.

May 27, 2008 - Prematics™ corporate Web site - Press Release
» Prematics™ CEO Joins Initiative To Advance More Coordinated, Connected Health Care
"Prematics president and chief executive officer, Kevin Hutchinson, has been named an inaugural member of the Board of Managers for TransforMED..."

May 27, 2008 - AAFP - Press Release
» American Academy of Family Physicians Launches New Business Entity To Accelerate Adoption of Patient-Centered Medical Home Model of Care
"The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has announced, effective June 1, its $8 million practice redesign initiative, TransforMED, will become a limited liability corporation (LLC) wholly owned by the AAFP. TransforMED LLC is expected to offer support and consultation services to primary care physicians and health systems that want to transform their medical practices into patient-centered medical homes."

May 19, 2008 - The Boston Globe
» A more welcoming model for care
"What distinguishes a medical home from a conventional practice is a comprehensive approach to care from prevention through hospitalization that provides as many services as possible in one location and coordinates all other care, using both a personal touch and electronic medical records. In addition, the medical home provides easy access to medical staff through same-day office appointments, weekend and evening hours, e-mail, and phone."

May 16, 2008 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Journey to the Future of Family Medicine
"Five articles in last issue addressed the challenges faced by practice transformation. In response, Annals’ readers have been busy reading, reflecting, and commenting on the many challenges we face in this journey."

May 16, 2008 - The Business Review (Albany)
» CDPHP's $1M pilot program tests patient-care system for cost savings
Albany insurer Capital District Physicians' Health Plan has chosen TransforMED for $1M pilot project to transform primary practices to patient-centered medical homes. The pilot will combine the TransforMED Patient-Centered Model with a new compensation model that pays practices for all they do— including phone calls and paperwork.

May 08, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» TransforMED Offers Free Medical Home Assessment Tool
Medical practices working on becoming medical homes now can measure their progress, thanks to a free and comprehensive assessment tool recently made available by TransforMED.

April 15, 2008 - Family Practice News
» Wanted: Medical Home Funding
NDP participating practice Romeo Medical Clinic's use of ancillary services, such as corporate wellness programs, to subsidize the practice's medical home are highlighted in this article.

April 14, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» National Demonstration Project Concludes
TransforMED Practices Reflect on Successes, Challenges
A recap of the April 11-13, 2008 TransforMED National Demonstration Project (NDP) Learning Collaborative featuring the experiences of three NDP participating practices.

April 2008 - STFM Family Medicine Journal
» Assembling Patient-centered Medical Homes in Teaching Practices— One Strategy
The President of STFM identifies the TransforMED model and use of the TransforMED MHIQ online self-assessment as a useful strategy for transforming and improving residency program and clerkship teaching practices.

March 18, 2008 - U.S.News & World Report
» Can't Find a Doctor? You're Not Alone
"...A primary-care doctor is supposed to be the go-to doc for almost every ailment from ingrown toenails to suspicious breast lumps—the trusted guide to the system who knows the patient, her medical history, her family. Any time the patient must navigate the bumpy and often frightening path through specialty care, it's these internists and family and general practice doctors who make sure that nothing critical falls through the cracks...."

March 15, 2008 - American Family Physician
» The TransforMED Project
Editorial by Dr. Terry McGeeney, TranforMED CEO. "Many discussions in national health care politics are focused on payment changes so that primary care can be financially recognized for its value. That discussion is important, but the perceived value of family medicine may not change until family medicine changes itself..."

March 14, 2008 - The Kiplinger Letter - kiplinger.com
» Quiet Revolution Under Way at Some Family Medical Practices
"Spurred by competition from miniclinics, many physicians are redesigning their offices for "patient centered" care." Dr. Terry McGeeney tips off Kiplinger's to seven practice transformations that are rapidly reshaping family medicine and primary care.

March/April 2008 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Changing Horses Midstream: The Promise and Prudence of Practice Redesign
" An emerging vision for primary care calls for the adoption of information technology and a strong business model to save a dying health care system...Our report is a personal reflection that looks beyond the question of whether busy practices and practitioners can change horses midstream. We ask, 'Is this primary care, and is this what it needs?'" Also see e-letters responding to this article.

March/April 2008 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Assembling Patient-centered Medical Homes - The Clerkship Initiative
"The field of family medicine has active national projects for premedical student recruitment (FutureFamilyDocs.org), residency education (P4 Project), and practice transformation (TransforMED). The purpose of these projects is to recruit and train family physicians who can provide care in patient-centered medical home (PCMH) practices. The missing link in this pipeline is a national project focused on the clinical experience of third-year family medicine clerkship students, which is a pivotal time for specialty selection. STFM is responding to this gap with a 2-year observational study of the development of medical home clinical experiences for family medicine clerkship students..." A Family Medicine Update from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

February 7, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» NCQA Fires Up National Recognition Program
"...TransforMED CEO Terry McGeeney, M.D., said NCQA's three-level program was constructed to make the task of qualifying for recognition easier for physicians. "If practices had to do everything all at once to get to level three, they might find that daunting and not even try." McGeeney stressed that NCQA and TransforMED fulfill different roles in the process. "The role of NCQA is to recognize practices that have met certain criteria. The role of TransforMED is to help practices get there..."

January 16, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN) - Requires AAFP membership
» From the President - Help Move U.S. Health System to Primary Care Base
"If you're like many Americans, you've been glued to your TV set for many an evening this month, watching presidential candidates challenge one another on issues, including our top pick: health system reform..."

January 16, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Measure Your Practice's Medical Home Fitness Level
"Twelve pertinent questions form the centerpiece of a free, online assessment tool from TransforMED, a practice redesign initiative affiliated with the AAFP...The new tool -- TMED Medical Home Vitals -- was designed to help physicians "take the pulse" of their practices and self-determine how their practices score in comparison with key features of the medical home model..."

January 9, 2008 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Commentary Urges Employers to Rally Around Primary Care
"IBM has engaged primary care providers in Texas and Pennsylvania in an effort to transform their practices and the payment structure to deliver improved access, counseling/coaching, preventive care, care coordination and chronic disease management within primary care medical homes. "The American Academy of Family Physicians' TransforMED initiative and the American College of Physicians' Center for Practice Improvement are leading the practice transformation, change management and evaluation components of the initiative," the commentary says..."

January 1, 2008 - Family Practice News
» TransforMED's Growing Pains Deemed Worth It
"More than midway through the family medicine TransforMED National Demonstration Project, organizers have learned to focus on relationships, systems, and technology in converting offices into places where teams deliver efficient, patient-centered, prevention-focused care. That was the message from Elizabeth Stewart, Ph.D., an analyst for the American Academy of Family Physicians, as she described some of the hurdles and successes experienced by 36 practices selected to test new models of care in the real world..."

January/February 2008 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Update on the P⁴ Project from the American Board of Family Medicine
"Five months into the first year of implementation, the P⁴ (Preparing the Personal Physician for Practice) residencies have their hands full. Most have completed IRB processes, and a significant minority of programs have completed the "baseline" data collection about the residencies and their residents. The residencies certainly have not lacked for ambition, and implementation is presenting virtually every program with a set of challenges..."

December 4, 2007 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» 2007: The Year in Review
"Advocacy once again was at the forefront of the Academy's activities during 2007. The AAFP took on the federal government, private insurers and regulators to ensure that family physicians' issues were heard and taken into account when decisions were made..."

December 3, 2007 - Texas Family Physician
» TransforMED: Renovating the specialty
"When AAFP published the Future of Family Medicine report three years ago, family physicians faced a tough ultimatum: change your ways or the specialty will perish within the next decade. This message wasn’t meant as a slight on family physicians and how they run their practices, but more a realization that family medicine and the U.S. health care system as a whole must change to meet the evolving needs of patients..."

November 28, 2007 - The Arizona Republic
» Airpark medical practice earns business award
TransforMED National Demonstration Project practice LifeScape Medical Associates P.C. has been recognized by the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce with its Sterling Award in the small business category. "The annual award honors a small company that demonstrates innovation, quality, professionalism and commitment to the community."

November 28, 2007 - The Indiianapolis Star (indystar.com)
» Delivering a new kind of care - Fishers family practice is among handful nationally trying out a new model to better assist patients
Two family practices in Indiana recently closed their doors. Not so at TransforMED National Demonstration Project family practice Olio Road Family Care in Fishers, Indiana where both patients and doctors are happier and more satisfied since the advent of TransforMED Patient-Centered Model improvements.

October 8, 2007 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» TransforMED: Building a Gateway to Care - Early Learnings From Medical Home Demo Project
Terry McGeeney, M.D., M.B.A shared early findings from the national demonstration project at the October 4th AAFP Scientific Assembly session entitled "Transforming Your Practice to a Patient-centered Medical Home." Initial data from the project indicate that change can produce positive results for patients, practices and communities.

September 24, 2007 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» New Orleans grows into testing ground for medical home
More than 20 clinics in greater New Orleans are reshaping primary care by introducing a medical home concept in neighborhood clinics that serve as havens for the needy. If the initiative succeeds in New Orleans, the model may be adopted more readily in other cities across the nation.

September 14, 2007 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» AAFP President Explains Importance of Title VII in Improving Patient Care
Section 747 of Title VII in the Public Health Service Act provides the only federal grants for training family physicians and should be used to teach students, residents and faculty about practice improvements and innovations in primary care and the patient-centered medical home, said AAFP President, Rick Kellerman, MD. In this way, Title VII could have a profound effect on the nation's health care system, transforming the system of care from an acute-care model to a preventive and patient-centered model.

September 2007 - PRIMED Patient Education Center
» The TransforMED National Demonstration Project
In part two of this 3-part series, TransforMED's three practice enhancement facilitators shed light on practical strategies that help empower practices to achieve more effective management and patient care systems.

August 2007 - PRIMED Patient Education Center
» TransforMED - Transforming Family Medicine Practice
In part one of this 3-part series TransforMED practice enhancement facilitator, Barbara Johnson, PhD, discusses the components of the TransforMED model, shares early insights and observations into what works in practice transformation and identifies lessons learned from the TransforMED National Demonstration Project.

July 27, 2007 - U.S. News and World Report
» The New Patient-Friendly Doctor's Office
TransforMED incorporates flexible scheduling, online consultations, electronic medical records, and other technological advances to give patients easy access to comprehensive medical care. The goal: to build strong relationships with patients and become their "medical home," a place they routinely turn to for preventive care and to manage chronic conditions.

July 25, 2007 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Iowa Practice Takes 'Baby Steps' Toward Transformation
Don Klitgaard, M.D., a family physician in Harlan, Iowa, knew he wanted to take better care of his patients. Although his practice was doing a pretty good job in terms of patient care, he knew it could do better. That's when Klitgaard heard about a model of care that incorporates elements such as advance-access scheduling, point-of-care services, team care, office redesign and electronic health records, or EHRs. It sounded like something he could use.

July 17, 2007 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» P4 Initiative Produces 'Radical' Approaches to Residency Training
Fourteen family medicine residency programs are launching what have been dubbed "radical" approaches to training residents— restructuring their programs to focus on comprehensive, community-based care that builds relationships with nonphysician and subspecialist health professionals.

July 15, 2007 - Concord Monitor - Concord, NH
» Health care's future? Group treatment in Concord Meetings give more time for discussion
In a typical visit to a primary care doctor, a diabetic patient has about 15 minutes of face time with the doctor. Doctors at the Capital Region Family Health Center have found a different model for chronic disease treatment that they say will give patients more time with the doctor, more access to information and - they hope - better health.

July 9, 2007 - LA Times - Los Angeles, C.A.
» How to find a good doctor
It's easier now as physicians provide more info and become more patient friendly. A key question to ask: How is the practice run?
(The publisher no longer makes this article available online.)

June 11, 2007 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» Duke retooling, reopening family medicine training
In a phoenix-like rebirth, Duke Univerity's family medicine residency is rising from the ashes. Duke administration's enthusiastic support for P⁴ — Preparing the Personal Physician for Practice — was an important catalyst in the decision to reopen the program.

June 5, 2007 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Re: An outcomes-based transformation
Dr. Terry McGeeney, CEO of TransforMED, responds to a letter from George S. Schroeder, MD and Mary E. Arenberg, MD of Plymouth Family Physicians in Plymouth, Wisconsin that was published in the March 2007 edition of the Annals.

June 11, 2007 - The Journal - Martinsburg, W.V.
» Future doctoring
Dr. David Baltierra of Harpers Ferry Family Medicine says there is a new model for patient care that makes the patient center stage, not the physician. The patient is in the drivers seat, and is encouraged to take an active role in his or her health to create a personal patient-physician relationship. Baltierra is the Residency Program director of the West Virginia University Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, one of 14 programs around the country selected to participate in an initiative to change the way family physicians practice medicine.
(The publisher no longer makes this article available online.)

May 2007 - Healthcare IT News
» TransforMED building 'vibrant' Web sites
Healthcare information technology will likely play a prominent role in the future of family medicine, as the 36 practices participating in TransforMED's National Demonstration Project (NDP) are discovering.

May 2007 - Family Practice Management
» TransforMED Tries to Rebuild Family Medicine
The national demonstration project nears the halfway mark with many hard lessons already learned.

4/06/2007 - Health Data Management
» Project to Evaluate Web Portal Use
Three dozen physician practices helping to create a new model of care will use various levels of Web portal technology from Medfusion.

March 2007 - Physician's News Digest
» Implementing a medical home
A wholesale change in the way that primary care is organized, delivered and reimbursed is being promoted by three primary care specialty societies and tested in Pennsylvania and New Jersey family practices.

2/05/2007 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» Practices making strides to transform family medicine
Participating practices are 10 months into a two-year project to change family medicine to a new, patient-centered model of care.

January-February, 2007 - Annals of Family Medicine
» Focus on Practice Redesign, Quality Improvement
An overview of the AAFP's practice redesign initiatives, featuring TransforMED and the Practice Enhancement Program.

1/01/2007 - DOC News (American Diabetes Association)
» Chronic Care at Center of AAFP'S Clinical Focus
Through quality improvement initiatives such as TransforMED, Metric and the Practice Enhancement Forum, the AAFP is seeking to transform family practice by facilitating adoption of the New Model and the Chronic Care Model.

1/11/2007 - The Charlotte Observer [Registration required]
» The doctor will see you now -- online
You've had the sniffles for a few days. You are feeling bad, but you don't want to take the time off work to drive to your doctor's office and wait for an hour to see him for just 10 minutes.
(The publisher no longer makes this article available online.)

9/11/2006 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» Keep Tabs on TransforMED's Progress Via Its New Web Site

8/14/2006 - modernhealthcare.com
» AAFP pushing technology
New program could boost quality; cut down on waste
(The publisher no longer makes this article available online.)

6/4/2006 - New York Times [Registration required]
» Market Forces Pushing Doctors to Be More Available

4/24/2006 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» AAFP picks doctors to test new practice care model
Family physicians hope that the national project will help them reshape the specialty.

4/13/2006 - MedScape / WebMD
» AAFP Practice Redesign Initiative Aims at Transforming Primary Care

4/11/2006 - The Harlan Tribune - Harlan, Iowa
» Myrtue Medical chosen for national project

4/5/2006 - AAFP News Now (ANN)
» 36 Practices Selected - AAFP's TransforMED Launches Project to Prove Innovative Model of Care

4/05/2006 - Health Data Management
» Tests Start to Redesign Practices

4/3/2006 - US Newswire
» Family Medicine Launches Project to Transform Primary Care;
36 Family Medicine Practices Prepare to Undergo Transformative Change

04/03/06 - Healthcare IT News
» Technology at core of new practice transformation project

12/12/2005 - American Medical News (AMNews)
» Future of family medicine: Multimillion-dollar makeover
A pilot program will transform the face of primary care