WASHINGTON – Bridges to Excellence, the nation's largest effort to reward physicians for delivery of high quality care, announced its support of the medical home approach to providing healthcare on Thursday by launching the BTE Medical Home Program.

The initiative will reward physicians who demonstrate they have adopted good systems and processes of care and are using those systems to deliver positive results in the management of their patients - in particular, patients with chronic conditions.

BTE's Medical Home recognition will be automatically triggered when physicians achieve a certain level of performance in BTE's Physician Office Link program and at least two of BTE's condition-specific programs, such as the Diabetes Care Link, Cardiac Care Link or Spine Care Link.

"The American Academy of Family Physicians believes everyone should have a personal medical home - a family physician who serves as the focal point through which they receive acute, chronic and preventive medical services," said Jim King, MD, president of the AAFP. "BTE's efforts to support the medical home can significantly boost the growing momentum of this patient-centered model of care."