UHS Patient-Centered Medical Home
The University Health Service offers a team-based approach to patient care that is comprehensive, coordinated, and accessible. This team-based approach is called a Patient-Centered Medical Home.
To provide our patients with high quality care as efficiently as possible, all full-time students are assigned a physician or nurse practitioner as their primary care provider (PCP). Non-student primary care patients also have a PCP at UHS.
UHS care providers are organized into two patient-centered Medical Home teams, the Medical Home Blue Team and the Medical Home Yellow Team. Your PCP will work in collaboration with members of your team to coordinate your care and treatment.
We will do our best to schedule appointments with your PCP. When your PCP is not available, we will schedule you to see a member of your PCP’s team whenever possible.
What does Patient-Centered Medical Home mean to you as a UHS patient?
The goal of the Patient-Centered Medical Home at the University Health Service (UHS) is to provide high quality team-based primary care to students, employees, and other members of the University of Rochester community. Care is coordinated through the patient’s primary care provider at UHS.
The Medical Home approach provides health care that is relationship-based with an orientation toward the whole person. Understanding and respecting each patient’s unique needs, culture, values, and preferences is essential. UHS supports patients in learning to manage and organize their own care.
- Relationship-Based: All students are assigned a primary care physician or nurse practitioner as their primary care provider upon arrival at the University. Non-student primary care patients also have a UHS primary care provider. The goal is for patients to see their primary care provider (PCP) the majority of the time. The PCP relationship gives your provider a better opportunity to know you and your health needs.
- Accessible Services: UHS provides 24/7 access to a medical provider. The River Campus Office is open 7 days/week during the academic year and weekdays during the summer and breaks. The Health Advice Line is answered by a registered nurse when UHS offices are open. Patients can contact their PCP through UHSConnect, a secure messaging system for non-urgent concerns.
- Comprehensive Care: The majority of each patient’s physical and mental health care needs, including prevention and wellness, acute care, and chronic care is provided by the team of health care professionals at UHS. The team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and medical office assistants.
- Coordinated Care: UHS strives for continuity of care by encouraging an appointment with the patient’s PCP or a provider on the patient care team. Teaching and helping patients to be wise health care consumers is a critical component of the care provided at UHS. Registered nurses and medical office assistants serve as care coordinators to facilitate the care provided within UHS and the care provided outside UHS. Referrals to specialists are made when needed.
- Quality of Care: The ongoing assessment of the care and services provided is an essential part of the UHS Patient-Centered Medical Home.