Emphasizing the Patient in a Patient-Centered Medical Home

Beal’s ambitions for this kind of healthcare delivery model are located well beyond his corner in the State of Michigan. He looks to continue to advocate for patient engagement, PCMH, and all of the technology that makes this possible on a national scale. He says he has all but one month reserved for speaking engagements this year.

Beal would especially like to teach and transform older doctors, who are part of smaller practices like his own, and are more set in their own culture. “Those are the doctors that are having the biggest trouble with this,” he says. “I love training new residents, when they come to my clinic. I only need an hour to show them the basics. But for those doctors who have been at it a long time, it takes a longer time.”

According to Beal, he has already had a few “wins” in this area, taking doctors who weren’t adept, holding their hands in some areas, and pushing them along in others. Many others, he notes, worry about the return on investment (ROI). For him, the ROI can’t be measured simply by dollars and cents. Instead, he says it can be measured by the fact his investments into a PCMH, have allowed him to spend a more meaningful 15 minutes with his patients.