Raleigh, NC — Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Acting Administrator Jim Macrae has announced $1.4 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 29 Community Health Centers (CHCs) in North Carolina in recognition of their efforts to improve quality as they provide comprehensive primary care. The funds will be used to expand current quality improvement systems and infrastructure and improve primary care service delivery in the communities they serve.
“These awards affirm the reputation of North Carolina’s health centers as innovative, high quality care providers,” said E. Benjamin Money, Jr., President and CEO of the North Carolina Community Health Center Association. “We congratulate our members on receiving these awards.”
Health centers receiving these funds are being recognized in one or more of the following categories:
Quality Awards
- EHR reporters received funding if they used Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to report clinical quality measure data for all patients, a foundation for quality improvement strategies.
- Clinical quality improvers received funding if they showed improvement in one or more clinical quality measures between 2013 and 2014, demonstrating a significant improvement to their patients’ health.
- Health center quality leaders received funding if they achieved the best overall clinical outcomes among all health centers, demonstrating a dedication to quality in all aspects of clinical operations.
Access Awards
- Access enhancers received awards for increasing the total number of patients served and the number of patients receiving comprehensive services between 2013 and 2014.
Value Awards
- High value health centers received funding for improving cost efficient care delivery compared to the national average while also increasing quality of care and improving access to comprehensive services.
About the North Carolina Community Health Association
The North Carolina Community Health Center Association serves as the collective voice for North Carolina’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Look-alikes (LAs)—aka Community Health Centers (CHCs). Our members offer a patient-governed, patient-centered health care home that integrates high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and enabling services without regard to a person’s ability to pay. Community Health Centers are geographically dispersed across 74 counties and 39 CHCs operate nearly 200 clinical sites.
