That was the theme of the October 22, 2009 annual gathering of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) in Washington, DC, and it was certainly true during this past year. The effort to promote good health and deliver comprehensive, holistic, patient-focused medical care has finally come home, from promising projects all across the country to language in national health care reform legislation.

In February 2007 the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) published their landmark Joint Principles on the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). This approach promises comprehensive primary care for children, youth and adults in a partnership between individual patients and their personal physician, who leads a team of health care professionals at the practice level and coordinates care across all elements of the health care system. Increased quality, patient safety, use of technology, performance incentives, accountability, and patient-centeredness are all hallmarks of the patient-center medical home model.

The Second National Medical Home Summit will bring together the leading authorities and practitioners in the medical home field to discuss one of the most compelling concepts in health care today. The key building blocks of the medical home model will be discussed and current issues debated. Attendees will also see how the model is actually working right now in a variety of different settings serving Medicare, Medicaid, commercially insured, and uninsured patients.

A preconference Boot Camp workshop is offered to give attendees a good orientation to the main Summit. A Medical Home Training Program allows individuals who want to take a deeper dive into the subject matter an opportunity to do so and earn a certificate. Joint sessions with the attendees of the National Retail Clinic Summit and the Population Health/Disease Management Colloquium allow exploration of synergies and issues beyond the medical home model. Finally, the Summit continues its groundbreaking format by permitting registrants to enjoy the complete Summit experience online through both real-time and archived access to all Summit presentations.

• Employers and employer coalitions
• Health plans
• Hospital and health system executives and managers
• Practicing physicians and physician organizations
• Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse case managers and other allied health professionals on the primary care team
• Community clinics and neighborhood health centers
• Patient advocate representatives
• Organizations representing vulnerable populations and individuals with special needs
• Disease management organizations
• Pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers
• Health care information technology managers
• Accreditation organizations
• Federal, State, and local government health agencies
• Vendors and consulting firms specializing in medical home related products and services