Health Care Quality Awards

The physicians and staff of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) are committed to provide a superb patient experience for every patient, every time. This shared ambition generates results that are recognized outside of our clinic walls. This list of awards, accreditations and achievements from 2011 and 2012 are points of pride that demonstrate our collective commitment to our patients and to excellence in health care.

PAMF’s David Druker Center for Health Systems Innovation launched its linkAges™ Successful Aging Program with a community education and developer event in April 2012. PAMF’s linkAges initiative is pioneering new ways to support seniors in the community to live a meaningful life and to age in place. More than 300 members and leaders in the community, high tech, government and developers attended the event. Keynote speakers included U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park , and Intel Fellow and Chief Healthcare Strategist Eric Dishman .
For the eighth consecutive year, the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) named PAMF as one of the most outstanding physician groups in California based on its Pay-for-Performance (P4P) program . In overall performance, PAMF ranked as a “top performer” in patient experience, information technology and clinical quality, such as cancer screenings, immunizations and diabetes care.
PAMF received a three-year accreditation from the Institute of Medical Quality (IMQ) in 2010. Recognized by the Medical Board of California, many liability carriers, workers’ compensation and insurers, IMQ’s Ambulatory Program was designed to promote quality care and assure compliance with government regulations.
In 2011 PAMF became one of the first oncology practices in the country recognized by Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer.
PAMF is currently rated four out of four stars by the California Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) in a statewide assessment of all medical groups. Medical groups are ranked in two categories: meeting national standards of care, and patient ratings. The OPA, an independent state office in conjunction with the Department of Managed Health Care, was created to represent the interests of health plan members to get the care they deserve and to promote transparency and quality health care by publishing an annual Quality of Care Report Card.
In 2011, the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG) rated PAMF as "elite" in its annual Standards of Excellence survey, which evaluates medical groups across California for “the infrastructure of a health care organization…the tools, people and processes” needed to deliver high-quality, affordable care and a positive patient experience. Four areas are assessed, including care management, health information technology, accountability and transparency, and patient-centered care.
More than 70 percent of PAMF's patients are now using My Health Online (formerly known as PAMF Online). In 2012 access was enhanced with the creation and implementation of the My Health Online mobile formats via the MyChart app on both Android and Apple devices.
In January 2011, PAMF’s Research Institute piloted an innovative program using Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) to promote weight loss. Latha Palaniappan, M.D., M.S. , an associate investigator at the Institute, and her research team carefully studied the specialized SMAs for more than two years. The findings from this study were published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine .
PAMF’s Vascular Center at the Mountain View Center was recognized in 2011 for its commitment to providing a high level of patient care and quality testing for the diagnosis of vascular disease by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories .
The prestigious Sutter Health President’s Award was given to PAMF in 2011 and 2012 to recognize outstanding performance in the areas of clinical quality, service excellence, community benefit and charity care, employee and physician satisfaction, targeted growth and financial health.
The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine awarded the 2011 Hilary E.C. Millar Award for Innovative Approaches to Adolescent Health Care to the PAMF Wellness Assessment for Youth To Get Organized Program – known as WAY2GO! .
In 2012, PAMF’s Research Institute received more than 35 grants from the government, non-government and non-industry based programs to conduct more than 100 clinical studies.
An original investigation by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute found that two lifestyle interventions for overweight and obesity patients at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease lead to significant, sustainable weight loss and improved cardiometabolic risk factors. A report on this research was published in December 2012, in JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly Archive of Internal Medicine).
PAMF Santa Cruz and Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center (SMSC) were presented with the 2011 “Champions for Children” award by the California Children’s Health Initiatives (CCHI) , in recognition of more than $1.4 million of support for local children’s health coverage programs since Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County was established in 2003.
One of PAMF’s newest facilities, the medical office building at 49 Wells in Palo Alto, was awarded LEED Gold certification for superior green design in August 2011. The 17,000-square-foot building houses the Breast Imaging Center, Encina Practice (Concierge Medicine) and Executive Health Program .
PAMF’s HMR (Health Management Resources) weight management program team was recognized in 2012 by the HMR parent organization with 10 Gold Standard awards for excellence in performance and patient care. It was the 16th consecutive year PAMF’s program earned Gold Standard awards from HMR.
In January 2012, PAMF and Marvell Technology Group, an international semi-conductor company, launched a unique on-site wellness program at Marvell’s Santa Clara location to help make it easier for employees at the company to take care of their health at work. PAMF’s Employer Services team provides regular monthly lunchtime lectures to Marvell’s staff and has participated in the company’s health fairs as a vendor for the past three years.
Expanding on the successful Palliative Care services program launched at the Santa Cruz Center, PAMF added Palliative Care services to its Palo Alto Center in June 2012. Services will be offered in the Mountain View area later in 2012, and the goal is to expand Palliative Care services to include San Mateo and Alameda counties in 2013.
In June 2012, Cigna and PAMF launched a collaborative accountable care initiative to expand patient access to health care, improve care coordination, and achieve the “triple aim” of improved health outcomes (quality), lower total medical costs and increased patient satisfaction. This patient-centered collaboration was Cigna’s first accountable care initiative in California.
When the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Gymnastics came to San Jose, PAMF physicians provided local medical support for the competing gymnasts, as well as gymnastics officials and coaches.
PAMF and Avenidas Village , an aging-in-place program in Mountain View, partnered on a first-ever “ Successful Aging Celebration ” community educational day open free to seniors in July 2012.
Sharon Tapper, M.D. , regional director of Inpatient Palliative Care for Sutter Health’s Peninsula Coastal Region, and PAMF’s medical director and creator of outpatient Palliative Care and Support Services , was selected to the national Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ’ (CMS) Innovation Advisors Program.
Peter P. Yu, M.D., director of Cancer Research at PAMF, was elected president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), for a one-year term beginning in June 2014.