News & Opinion | Health
Gayes! A huge congratulations is in order for Positive Impact Health Centers. The Atlanta-based organization was recently awarded recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home.
The announcement makes Positive Impact Health Centers the only AIDS Service organization in Georgia to receive this recognition.
For over 30 years Positive Impact Health Centers (PIHC) has provided comprehensive care to those affected by HIV. PIHC currently services the greater Atlanta 20-county metro area, two pharmacies and four centers conveniently located in Chamblee, Decatur, Duluth, and Marietta.
Services provided include HIV specialty medical care, HIV testing and counseling, prevention programming, PrEP and PEP, emotional wellness and recovery programs, medical case management, pharmacy care, and other supportive services.
Additionally, PIHC is prideful of its Gender-Inclusive Program which offers supporting services for the Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) population by offering Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
The recognition in part gives Black LGBTQ+ patients an added layer of trust when seeking medical treatment from PIHC. Throughout history, the black community has often faced mistreatment and inequalities from healthcare providers.
According to a 2020 study by American Progress, 15 percent of Black LGBTQ people reported some form of negative or discriminatory treatment from a doctor or healthcare provider in the year prior. The study also revealed 14 percent of Black LGBTQ people reported that they had to teach their doctor about their sexual orientation to receive proper care.
7 percent of Black LGBTQ people reported that doctors refused to provide care to them because of their sexual orientation, and 11 percent said they had a doctor who was visibly uncomfortable due to their sexual orientation.
In a statement, Larry Lehman, CEO and President of Positive Impact Health Centers said, “For decades, Positive Impact Health Centers has led the way in patient-centered HIV care in Atlanta. We are thrilled to be recognized for our efforts and honored to receive this NCQA recognition.”
He continued, “The staff implements new programs and processes every day to reduce barriers to care as part of our goal of bringing 15,000 out of care patients into care. We are especially grateful to Jordan Chappell, PIHC’s Operations Manager, for leading and overseeing this process.”
NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane said, “NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients.”
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of healthcare organizations and 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.
Check Out a Tour of Positive Impact Health Centers’ Duluth, GA location!
Learn more about PIHC'S services at PositiveImpactHealthCenters.org. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ncqa. NCQA’s website contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed healthcare choices.