Patient‐Centered Medical Home Recognition and Clinical Performance in U.S. Community Health Centers

America's community health centers ( HC s) are uniquely poised to implement the patient‐centered medical home ( PCMH ) model, as they are effective in providing comprehensive, accessible, and continuous primary care. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between PCMH recognition in HC s and clinical performance. Methods Data for this study came from the 2012 Uniform Data System ( UDS ) as well as a survey of HC s' PCMH recognition achievement. The dependent variables included all 16 measures of clinical performance collected through UDS . Control measures included HC patient, provider, and practice characteristics. Bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions were conducted to compare clinical performance between HC s with and without PCMH recognition. Findings Health centers that receive PCMH recognition generally performed better on clinical measures than HC s without PCMH recognition. After controlling for HC patient, provider, and practice characteristics, HC s with PCMH recognition reported significantly better performance on asthma‐related pharmacologic therapy, diabetes control, pap testing, prenatal care, and tobacco cessation intervention. Conclusion This study establishes a positive association between PCMH recognition and clinical performance in HC s. If borne out in future longitudinal studies, policy makers and practices should advance the PCMH model as a strategy to further enhance the quality of primary care.