Table 5.
Staffing Ratios, Overall, and by Practice Size and PCMH Status
| Staff Type | Practice Size | PCMH Status | All Practices | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||
| ≤2 FTE Physicians | >2–4 FTE Physicians | >4–7 FTE Physicians | >7–13 FTE Physicians | >13 FTE Physicians | PCMH Practices | Other Practices | ||
| Ratio of FTE nonphysician staff to FTE physician | ||||||||
| All nonphysician staffa | 5.32 | 3.92 | 3.73 | 4.23 | 3.35 | 4.40 | 4.57 | 4.50 |
| All nonadministrative staff | 2.99 | 2.16 | 2.04 | 2.21 | 1.52 | 2.50 | 2.48 | 2.49 |
| Administrative staff | 2.33 | 1.76 | 1.70 | 2.02 | 1.83 | 1.90 | 2.09 | 2.01 |
| FTE physicians | ||||||||
| Average number of FTE physicians | 1.4 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 9.4 | 27.7 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| Median number of FTE physicians | 1.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 9.0 | 15.6 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
CPC = Comprehensive Primary Care; FTE = full-time equivalent; LPN = licensed practical nurse; LVN = licensed vocational nurse; NP = nurse practitioner; PA = physician assistant; PCMH = patient-centered medical home; RN = registered nurse.
Source: The CPC initiative practice survey, fielded October through December 2012.
Note: Practice size is defined by the number of FTE physicians. Practice status is based on whether a practice reported it had received PCMH recognition, accreditation, or certification from 1 or more of the following: The Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Healthcare, The Joint Commission, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Utilization Review Accreditation Association, or a state- or insurance plan–based recognition program.
Administrative staff include those managing reception, medical records, appointments, finance, etc. Nonadministrative staff include medical assistants, NPs/PAs, LPNs/ LVNs, RNs, care managers/coordinators, pharmacists, social workers, community service coordinators, health educators, and nutritionists.