Health Care Homes
Certification

A primary care clinic or clinician certified by the Minnesota Department of Health to coordinate care among the primary care team, specialists, and community partners to ensure patient-centered, comprehensive, continuous, whole person care and improve total health and well-being. The idea is that a clinician/clinic provides its patients a home base for health care and helps them navigate the health care system.

The development of health care homes in Minnesota is part of the ground-breaking health reform legislation passed in May 2008 to develop a patient-centered medical home model of care delivery. The legislation includes payment to primary care providers for partnering with patients and families to provide coordination of care.

• Health Care Homes certification is a free and voluntary program that benefits all Minnesotans.
• Certification is achievable. Most uncertified clinics are meeting many of the requirements for certification already.
• Certification recognizes a flexible primary care delivery model based on continuous improvement and evidence-based practice supported by accessible learning, technical assistance, and peer-based interaction.
• Health Care Homes clinics are recognized for high standards of excellence, commitment to continuous quality improvement, and quality patient-centered care.
• Minnesota’s certified Health Care Homes will receive full credit from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Improvement Activities performance category under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). For more information, please see the HCH eligible for the Improvement Activities performance category under MIPS (PDF).
• The Health Care Homes model puts patients at the forefront of care by building better relationships between people and their clinical care teams.
• Health Care Homes clinicians and staff report higher job satisfaction.
• Research confirms that Health Care Homes improve all elements of the quadruple aim: quality, patient experience, staff satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness.
• Certification as a HCH provides accessible, effective, team-based coordinated care within a health care system. This foundational infrastructure is essential to successful participation in alternative payment models, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) or other value-based arrangements.
• Additional levels of certification further support clinics in their efforts to participate in the growing field of value-based purchasing by recognizing achievements in addressing needs beyond the current foundational requirements. This includes identifying and addressing social determinants of health, advancing health equity, meeting whole person care needs, expanding community partnerships, and working with their communities on population health improvement.

COMPASS (PDF), which stands for Certification/Recertification Operations Manual Providing Application Submission Support, outlines the requirements and standards for being a certified Health Care Home. The certification and recertification process includes an online application that documents how your clinics are meeting these requirements. That is validated through a site visit/team meeting to assure transformation and implementation of the HCH standards.

HCH now offers 3 levels of certification: Foundational Level, Level 2, and Level 3. Advanced levels of certification recognize clinics that are evolving primary care models to reduce disparities, improve value, and address population health.

For further information, please go to the HCH Level Progression Main Page.

Click here for the Certification Checklist (PDF).