Center for Person-Centered Care launches free decision tools

The Center for Person-Centered Care launched Aug. 7 in Silver Spring, Maryland, with a free website aimed at helping patients, providers and payers make healthcare choices that better reflect real-life needs. The nonprofit initiative says the goal is to turn person-centered care from an idea into practical action across the system.

Why it matters: - The Center for Person-Centered Care is trying to make healthcare decisions more usable for people whose care has to fit work, family, finances and daily life. - The launch targets a persistent gap: person-centered care is widely discussed, but not consistently put into practice. - The free tools are aimed at patients and families, healthcare providers and payers, which gives the initiative a broad audience across the care system.

What happened: - The Center for Person-Centered Care announced its official launch on Aug. 7, 2026, in Silver Spring, Maryland. - The Center is a program of the Wellness, Workplaces, and Communities Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. - The launch took place during National Health Center Week. - The initiative introduced person-centeredcare.org, a free website with guides, self-assessments and educational resources.

The details: - The website includes downloadable guides to help people prepare for healthcare, navigate insurance and make informed decisions. - The site includes interactive self-assessments for patients, providers and payers. - The site also offers educational resources, including visual tools, that explain person-centered care in practical language. - Cynthia Overton, PhD, serves as executive director of the Center for Person-Centered Care. - Overton said healthcare decisions are often made without considering whether care is realistic, accessible or sustainable once people return to daily lives. - Overton said the Center is meant to bring clinical expertise together with patients’ goals, priorities and life circumstances. - The Center says that combining those perspectives can lead to more informed decisions and care that better aligns with people’s lives. - The Center is grounded in the idea that healthcare should reflect people’s real lives, not just what appears in a medical chart. - The Center builds on Overton’s work as an author, educator and strategist focused on person-centered care. - Overton is the author of Clear Cane Chronicles: Shaping the Future of Healthcare Through Person-Centered Care.

Between the lines: - The launch reflects a broader push to move person-centered care from a policy ideal to a day-to-day decision-making tool. - By offering free resources, the Center lowers the barrier for patients and professionals to use the material without institutional support. - The focus on patients, providers and payers suggests the Center sees person-centered care as a systemwide issue, not just a clinician-patient interaction.

What's next: - The Center says it will develop practical tools, educational resources, research and partnerships to advance person-centered care in everyday practice. - People can access the new resources at person-centeredcare.org. - The Center’s work is expected to continue under WWCI as part of its nonprofit mission.