The Mid-Carolina Physician Organization (MCPO) was formed in 1995 by physicians dedicated to high-quality, cost-effective health care.  MCPO has been a leader in many initiatives in support of its goal to have a positive impact on the health care provided in the Sandhills of North Carolina.  

• MCPO partnered with FirstHealth of the Carolinas to create a local insurer, FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company, with a philosophy of providing quality care to members and fair reimbursement to providers. FCC vision includes effective chronic condition management, proactive wellness, and reduction of the growth in working uninsured. MCPO physicians serve on the First QIC medical management committee.
• MCPO helped form Sandhills Community Care Network (now Community Care of the Sandhills), a non-profit organization, in 2003. Community Care of the Sandhills is one of 14 community care networks in North Carolina that work with the Department of Health & Human Services in NC, through Community Care of NC, to better manage the care of over 54,000 Carolina Access Medicaid recipients. NC counties served include Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties.
• MCPO worked with a coalition to help with formation of the Moore Free Care Clinic (MFCC), a medical clinic which is committed to the belief that health care is a basic human need. MFCC provides quality health care to the limited-income, uninsured population of the area.
• MCPO formed and hosts a Practice Administrators' Association, with monthly meetings that serve as networking opportunities for members, create a sense of community among staff from MCPO practices, and provide educational opportunities to MCPO practices' staff members.
• MCPO collaborates with Sandhills Coders Organization to provide continuing education opportunities for physician-based professional medical coders approved by AACP.
• MCPO served and continues to serve as a voice for area healthcare providers in issues that effect the medical community.
• Dr. John Byron, MCPO President, and other MCPO physician members have been involved with an area Integrated Health System Steering (IHS) Committee since December 2008. The IHS Steering Committee comprises a large group of MCPO member physicians, FirstHealth of the Carolinas Administrators and Board of Directors, and community leaders. They formed leadership/work groups for formal discussions to identify interested parties, plan IHS structure, and determine mechanisms for creating IHS.
• MCPO has taken an active role in pursuing a computer integration project. This has been a collaboration with FirstHealth information technology personnel, information technology leaders in MCPO physicians' practices, information technology consultants and information technology vendors. Significant efforts have gone towards grant preparation and negotiation with potential funding sources. Dealing with the challenges and divergent needs of different sizes and types of organizations with information technology preparedness has been a major focus.
• MCPO leadership has been actively involved in quality improvement programs at many levels. Those include FirstHealth hospital-related, FirstCarolinaCare Insurance-related, and Community Care of the Sandhills-related processes. Additionally, MCPO has been actively involved in state-wide quality initiatives. Educational programs have been provided at the practice manager group level to address the Medicare Provider Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). The major focus is to assure that the practices/member providers have the information and tools they need to be involved in what ever pay-for-performance programs are available.