The UTMB Department of Family Medicine recently received the highest level of certification for its patient-centered efforts from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. All three Family Medicine clinics — Island East Family Medicine, Island West Family Medicine and Dickinson Family Medicine — are now NCQA level three certified patient-centered medical centers. Level three certification standards include short waiting-room times, full, unhurried attention from health professionals, specific protocols for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and an electronic medical record system accessible to everyone on the medical team as well as the patient and his family. NCQA research has shown that patients who receive their primary care from patient-centered medical facilities have increased access to care and higher quality of care at lower cost, with one state reporting $2 to $4 in savings for every $1 spent. The news also appears in the Galveston County Daily News.