Publications

UC Davis Family Practice Center—Medical Assistants Anchor Residency-based Medical Home

Author(s): 

Lisel Blash, Catherine Dower, Susan A. Chapman

Date: 
Apr 2011

In response to long wait times and low patient satisfaction scores, the University of California, Davis Medical Center Department of Family and Community Practice redesigned its residency-based Family Practice Center into a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). This model expanded the role of medical assistants (MAs) by providing them with additional training and responsibility. Because of their relative permanency, MA staff serve an integral role in teaching residents how to work in a PCMH. UC Davis is one of the first residency programs in California to incorporate the PCMH model into its residency training.

This 2014 summary updates the original 2011 case study with new information on staffing, clinical outcomes, reimbursement, and more.

Innovative Workforce Models of Health Care is a series of case studies showcasing primary care practices that are expanding the roles of medical assistants and other frontline workers in innovative ways. The organizations selected are implementing practice models that improve organizational viability and quality of care for patients while providing career development opportunities to frontline employees. This research is supported by the The Hitachi Foundation as part of their Pioneer Employers Initiative.