The PCPCH program is reducing administrative complexity
Oregon’s Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) Program was created in 2009 to collaborate with community partners to develop standards for delivering high-quality primary care, and to publicly recognize the clinics that meet those standards. As the program and standards have evolved over time, the administrative complexity for clinics participating in the program has increased. The impact of this complexity has been felt particularly strongly since the 2020 pandemic, as the primary care health system has faced significant strain.
In 2025, PCPCH Program staff began an initiative to identify and implement strategies to reduce the administrative complexity for clinics participating in the program. These strategies have been informed by (a) provider and clinic staff feedback that program staff have received during site visits, through the email inbox and in public forums, and (b) survey responses from PCPCH providers and clinic staff collected in October 2025. Below are the steps we've taken so far.
Version 3 of the PCPCH Recognition Criteria Technical Specifications and Reporting Guide
The PCPCH 2025 Recognition Criteria Technical Specifications and Reporting Guide (TA Guide) is the go-to resource for clinics participating in the program and includes information about the PCPCH model and application process, the most up-do-date standards and measure specifications, and additional resources. Version 3 of the 2025 TA Guide is now available at the link above and on the PCPCH website, along with a summary of what has changed. Additional changes will be coming near the end of 2026, all of which will work towards reducing administrative complexity.
Changes to verification site visits
The following strategies were implemented in February 2026:
- Reduced or eliminated the documentation required for a site visit for 38 of 84 (45%) measures, and some measures are now verified by interview only so that clinic staff have fewer documents to prepare and upload into the portal. You can read more about the specific measures impacted by this change in our measure verification changes crosswalk.
- Reduced clinical staff interviews, care team interviews and administrative interviews from 45 to 30 minutes for most clinics so that providers can spend less time away from patients.
- Shortened site visits to a half-day when possible so that clinic staff and providers can spend less time participating in the site visit.
- Changed the Patient Focus Group interview portion of a site visit to optional instead of required, in response to feedback on the clinic surveys.
As the year progresses, PCPCH program staff will be implementing additional strategies to help reduce administrative complexity. If you would like to share any feedback about this topic, including ideas for how the program could help ease burden on clinics, please email PCPCH@oha.oregon.gov.
Questions?
We are here to help! Contact us at PCPCH@oha.oregon.gov
About the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program
Patient-Centered Primary Care Homes (PCPCHs) are health care practices that have been recognized by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for their commitment to providing high quality, patient-centered care. The PCPCH Program administers the application, recognition, and verification process for practices applying to become Patient-Centered Primary Care Homes. The program is also working with partners across Oregon to support adoption of the primary care home model. For more information visit www.PrimaryCareHome.oregon.gov.
The mission of the PCPCH Program is to be a trusted partner in primary care, collaborating with community members to set the standard for transformative, whole-person, and evidence-based care.
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