Group Health Department of Preventive Care
The Group Health Department of Preventive Care (DPC) is a subspecialty group within Group Health's medical staff that works collaboratively with Group Health Center for Health Studies (CHS), the medical staff, and the Strategic Services and Quality team to design, deliver, promote, and evaluate preventive care and health promotion services.
DPC helps Group Health develop, improve, and assess both primary and secondary prevention services. Primary prevention services reduce risk factors before diseases start; such services include immunization and smoking cessation. Secondary prevention services identify the early onset of disease leading to a reduction of death and disability; these services include breast and colorectal cancer screening.
With the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation, DPC is providing scientific leadership for Momentum, an initiative that integrates existing technology infrastructure and systems to deliver a patient-centered model of care delivery for Group Health members, employers, and providers. "These changes are revolutionizing the way we practice medicine," said David C. Grossman, MD, MPH, DPC's medical director, Group Health pediatrician, and CHS senior investigator. "We expect to involve many CHS researchers in evaluating this initiative."