The Winn Army Community Hospital primary care medical clinic in Richmond Hill has been awarded the highest possible certification by an outside health care accreditation organization.
According to Michelle Gordon, Winn public affairs officer, Richmond Hill Medical Home received a Level 3 certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care.
“Our health care professionals and administrative professionals are the real source behind this award,” said Desmond “Desi” McMullan, group practice manager. “This award is recognition of their teamwork. Everything we do on a daily basis is focused on the patient. As a result of that, not only has the Army recognized us as a model of outstanding patient care, so has an outside agency.”
McMullan said RHMH has been identified by NCQA with the highest level accreditation they provide.
Gordon said NCQA’s standards are the most widely-accepted formal evaluation program from a national quality oversight organization. Depending on the overall score, she said NCQA assigns accreditation to medical practices at Level 1, 2 or 3, with 3 being the highest accreditation possible.
Col. Ron Place, commander of Winn ACH and Medical and Dental Activity Command for Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, presented the NCQA accreditation on Thursday to McMullan on behalf of the RHMH staff. Specifically addressing staff members who gathered in the clinic’s main lobby during the lunch hour, Place reminded them that only two years ago their building was a former grocery store.
“The Army said ‘maybe we’re not doing what we need to do to take care of our soldiers’ families,’” said Place, who explained how RHMH became one for the Army’s first community-based medical homes in March 2011. “Winn was one of the first six or seven locations selected for a patient-centered medical home.”

Read more in the Jan. 26 edition of the News.