Firefly Health is the first national primary care group to earn NCQA Virtual Care Accreditation

Firefly Health is the first national primary care group to earn NCQA Virtual Care Accreditation © pressmaster - stock.adobe.com

Firefly Health, a Massachusetts-based virtual-first primary care organization, has become the first national primary care group to earn Virtual Care Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a milestone that could shape how virtual care is evaluated and scaled nationwide.

© Firefly Health

The announcement, made Wednesday morning by NCQA and Firefly Health, positions the company among just five organizations nationwide to receive the new accreditation. Firefly is the only one in that group operating a longitudinal primary care model across state lines. Most others offer more limited, episodic services or regional coverage.

Founded with the goal of delivering comprehensive, team-based virtual primary care, Firefly Health offers a hybrid model that integrates primary care, behavioral health, chronic condition management and specialty coordination.

“NCQA’s commitment to quality and patient-centered care aligns with Firefly’s mission. Achieving one of the first virtual primary care accreditations reinforced our dedication to high-quality care and strengthened our processes,” said Nisha Basu, M.D., chief clinical officer of Firefly Health.

The Virtual Care Accreditation program, launched this year by NCQA, is designed to provide a standardized framework for assessing the quality, safety and equity of virtual care delivery. Accreditation standards cover a wide range of practices, including use of actionable and personalized care plans, culturally competent communication and evaluation of social determinants of health.

The NCQA, a nonprofit organization, is largely known for its Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), one of the most widely used tools for measuring health plan performance. The organization’s certifications and accreditations are considered industry benchmarks for the evaluation of health care quality and effectiveness.

Two years in the making

Firefly played a central role in piloting the accreditation framework, collaborating with NCQA for two years prior to the program’s launch. As part of that process, the company refined its own operations and submitted to formal review.

Among the changes, Firefly:

• Developed standard operating procedures for clinical, operational and technology functions.
• Strengthened staff training protocols.
• Enhanced its approach to Race, Ethnicity and Identity (REI) data collection to improve equity and care personalization.

“We’re excited to continue partnering with NCQA to set the standard for virtual care, expanding access to patients nationwide,” Basu said.