In an effort to keep our patients and staff healthy, we are screening all patients before you enter a Healthy Connections clinic. A staff member will meet you at the door to take your temperature and ask you some screening questions related to COVID-ID infection. If a COVID-19 risk is identified, you will be directed to a designated area for further evaluation. Otherwise, you will proceed to check in with your visit as usual. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. We will continue to post updates at www.healthy-connections.org/covid-19. #Coronavirus #Covid19
NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home™ standards emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician partnership
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced that Healthy Connections, Inc., clinics in Mena, Hot Springs, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Mount Ida, and De Queen have received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition 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.
The Healthy Connections Montgomery County Community Clinic in Mount Ida (534 Luzerne St.) previously earned this recognition. Other clinics now recognized include:
Appointments for these clinics can be made by calling toll free (888) 710-8220.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from NCQA,” said Tony Calandro, CEO of Healthy Connections. “This is a testament to the mission of Healthy connections to provide outstanding, compassionate care to the patients we serve.”
Healthy Connections has three of Arkansas’ 13 PCMH Certified Content Experts on its staff, including Michelle Gibson, RN; Amanda Barrett, LPN, and Rachel Tomaskovic, RN.
To earn recognition, Healthy Connections 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.
Over the past 21 years, Healthy Connections has become a lot of things to the communities it services, including primary care/family medicine provider, dentist, pediatrician, or medical specialist. But mostly it is a place all people can go to receive quality care regardless of their ability to pay.
Healthy Connections accepts Medicaid, including ARKids 1st, Medicare and most private health insurances. There are also appointment openings for all patients, sometimes even same-day, at all of the clinics. As a Federally-Qualified Health Center, Healthy Connections providers treat thousands of patients each year who have no insurance or not enough insurance to cover essential health and dental services. This is done as part of a sliding-fee schedule, which is determined by the total family income of the patient. Qualified applicants can receive treatment at a reduced rate.
For more information, visit www.healthy-connections.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.
Healthy Connections will now have Friday clinic hours at six Arkansas locations.
In order to increase accessibility and the overall experience for patients, clinics in Mena, Hot Springs, Malvern, Mount Ida, and De Queen are now open to see family medical and primary care patients on Fridays.
The Friday clinics will be:
- Mena, 136 Health Park Lane, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Hot Springs, 102 Chippewa Court, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Hot Springs, 3604 Central Avenue, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Malvern Clinic, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Mount Ida (Montgomery County Community Clinic), 534 Luzerne Street, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- DeQueen, 1367 W. Collin Raye Drive, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Call (888) 710-8220 for an appointment. All clinics accept most forms of medical insurance, Medicaid and Medicare; however, no person will be turned away for lack of insurance. Qualified families will be charged according to their total family income (please see our discounted medical & dental care program page for details). Enrollment assistance is also available for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Note that specialty services, dental, behavioral health, and some imaging services may not be available during this time. Acute pediatrics patients will be seen at the adult medicine clinics in Hot Springs and DeQueen.
Healthy Connections operates 10 clinics, including three school-based health centers, in Arkansas. For more information, visit www.healthy-connections.org.
American Heart Association and American Medical Association announce annual list of physician practices and health systems receiving a Target: BP™ award for their commitment to prioritize blood pressure control within the communities they serve
ARKANSAS – Healthy Connections, Inc., is recognized as a leader in the national effort to get people’s blood pressure under control and reduce the number of Americans who have heart attacks and strokes each year.
The American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) named Healthy Connections’ clinics as part of the 802 physician practices and health systems nationwide recognized for a commitment to help patients improve blood pressure control through this year’s Target: BP Recognition awards.
Launched in 2015, Target: BP is a national initiative between the AHA and AMA aimed at addressing the growing burden of high blood pressure in the U.S.
More than 1,600 physician practices and health systems nationwide have joined Target: BP™, sharing a common goal to reduce the number of adult patients with uncontrolled blood pressure and improve health outcomes associated with heart disease.
“Improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve is part of the mission at Healthy Connections,” said CEO Tony Calandro. “Target: BP is just another recognition of our staff and their commitment to making Arkansas a healthier place to live.”
Healthy Connections clinics recognized include:
- 3034 A Pine Street, Arkadelphia
- 900 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Malvern
- 534 Luzerne Street, Mount Ida (Montgomery County Community Clinic)
- 136 Health Park Drive, Mena
- 1201 Mena Street, Mena
- 102 Chippewa Court, Hot Springs
- 3604 Central Avenue, Hot Springs
- 1357 West Collin Raye Drive, De Queen
- 139 School Lane, Mena (Ouachita River Health Center, Acorn School)
Clinics can be reached by calling toll free at (888) 710-8220.
Of the 103 million Americans with high blood pressure, less than half of them have it controlled to a healthy level. This is despite the fact that high blood pressure can often be managed effectively when patients work with their physician to create and follow a treatment plan. No single risk factor has more impact on the nation’s death rates from cardiovascular disease than high blood pressure.
“Although we have the tools to easily treat high blood pressure, many patients face a variety of barriers making it difficult to successfully manage the condition. That’s why the American Heart Association and American Medical Association created the Target: BP initiative – to help bring patients and physicians together to successfully get blood pressure under control, and help patients keep it controlled,” said AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, M.D. “We applaud the physicians who are already working hard to control their patients’ blood pressure, and we will continue to urge more physician practices, health systems and patients to join this effort to prioritize blood pressure control and increase the national blood pressure control rate. Together, we will be able to save many more lives and improve health outcomes for patients throughout the nation.”
“A driving force behind Target: BP’s goal of improving cardiovascular health is the physician and patient partnership,” said AHA President Ivor Benjamin, M.D., FAHA. “We are pleased to see more and more practices prioritize blood pressure control and collaborate with their patients to achieve the program’s goal of reducing heart disease and strokes in their communities.”
Healthy Connections, along with all other practices and health systems being recognized, will be featured in upcoming Target: BP materials. This includes appearing in national journal ads, on TargetBP.org, and the Target: BP Wall of Recognition that will be displayed at AMA and AHA events throughout the year.Healthy Connections, Inc., was founded in 1998 as a home visiting program and now operates nine clinics throughout Southwest Arkansas. Depending on location, services include primary and preventative medical care, general dentistry, pediatrics, behavioral health, physical therapy and cardiology
Here at Healthy Connections, we want to assure our family of patients that we are taking the current coronavirus threat seriously. Everybody has questions, many of us feel anxious about our health or that of loved ones, and all of us are living with uncertainty.