The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced $36.3 million in Quality Improvement Awards grants to 1,113 health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and seven U.S. territories. The health centers receiving the awards are proven leaders in areas such as chronic disease management, preventive care and use of Electronic Health Records to report quality data.
“Receiving this award reflects the tremendous team effort our staff gives to make Promise a quality performer among health centers in Iowa and the nation,” said Nancy Dykstra, executive director of Promise Community Health Center. “Since opening our doors in 2008, increasing numbers of patients call Promise their health home. As we look to 2015, we anticipate seeing more patients and providing more services.”
Promise was recognized among the top 30 percent of Federally Qualified Health Centers nationwide for achieving best overall clinical outcomes by receiving $16,210 in funding in the Health Center Quality Leaders category. Nationwide, 361 health centers received $11.2 million in the category.
Promise also received $15,000 in funding in the Electronic Health Records Reporters category for using EHRs to report clinical quality measure data on all of its patients. Nationwide, 332 health centers received about $4.9 million in funding in the category.
“These funds reward and support those health centers that have taken steps to achieve the highest levels of clinical quality performance and improvement,” said Health and Resources Administration administrator Mary Wakefield.
For a list of Quality Improvement Awards recipients for fiscal year 2014-15, visit www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2014tables/qualityimprovement/.