A New Home for Family Care Associates

Two heads are better than one, but they work better when together! This was one of the many motivators to combine GBMC’s two Family Care Associates (FCA) offices to a single new location in Physicians Pavilion North. After more than six months of planning and construction, the new office opened on October 20, 2014.

Before the new location was selected, FCA went through about two years of work to maintain consistency with the communication and technology efforts used by all Greater Baltimore Medical Associates (GBMA) primary care offices. Additionally, the practice made schedule adjustments to ensure that it can take urgent appointments every day and get patients in more quickly for non-emergent issues. It even extended its hours on weekdays and began offering Saturday and Sunday hours.

As a result of that work, it earned the status of “Level 3 Physician Practice Connections-Patient-Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH)” as noted by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Achieving this designation demonstrates the practice’s commitment to providing better health and care at a lower cost.

FCA was designed differently than traditional physician offices. Based on feedback from patients, the stakeholders team - including physicians, medical assistants, care managers and administrative staff - wanted to create a physical space that allows for the communication, direct patient care and education that are hallmarks of a PPC-PCMH. Designing a new office gave the team a chance to streamline their processes and make a truly patient-centered environment, aligning with the practice’s designation.

The office layout is U-shaped with an “on-stage/off-stage” design. Patients and visitors only see the on-stage presence of the office including exam rooms, a lounge, concierge desk and seating area. After being greeted, patients are immediately directed to an exam room, so there is no traditional waiting room. The “off-stage” area of the office is where caregivers can communicate with each other and move easily between exam rooms, creating an easier workflow with less clutter.

Each one of the exam rooms is fully equipped with the necessary tools that staff can use for a variety of diagnostic tests that can be performed on-site. There is also a phlebotomy room near the entrance for quick blood services if a patient doesn’t need a full exam from a physician.

The new FCA office is the first GBMC Primary Care Practice to use this new design, helping us move closer to our vision where each patient, each time receives the care we would want for our own loved ones.

FCA is accepting new patients! Visit www.gbmc.org/familycare or call 443-849-GBMC (4262) for more information.