26 Aug
by Derrick Vander Waal
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center has been awarded $44,438 in federal funding to recognize its achievements in providing high-quality, comprehensive care.
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center has been awarded $44,438 in federal funding to recognize its achievements in providing high-quality, comprehensive care.
The Health Resources and Services Administration announced Tuesday that Promise was among 1,153 health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and seven U.S. territories to receive $63.3 million in Health Center Quality Improvement Grants under the Affordable Care Act for fiscal year 2015-16.
 |
| Dr. Kenneth Tjeerdsma checks the teeth of 3-year-old Karol Duenas during a dental appointment at Promise Community Health Center in Sioux Center. Promise was awarded $44,438 in additional federal grant funding for high-quality, comprehensive care. |
The health centers receiving the grants are being recognized for high levels of performance in various categories. They will use the funds to expand current quality improvement systems and infrastructure and improve primary care service delivery in the communities they serve.
“This award speaks to the hard work and quality work of our staff,” said Nancy Dykstra, executive director of Promise. “Here at Promise, we are serving more patients and demonstrating success with documented improvements in disease management, care of chronic illnesses, and reducing health disparities of our target population – individuals and families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.”
Promise was awarded $20,000 in the Access Enhancers Awards category for increasing the number of patients served between 2013 and 2014. Just two of the 14 community health centers in Iowa were recognized with that award. Nationwide, 340 health centers received about $9.7 million in the category.
Promise was awarded $15,000 in the Electronic Health Records Reporters Awards category for using EHRs to report clinical quality measure data on all of its patients. Nine health centers in Iowa were recognized with that award. Nationwide, 491 health centers received about $7.3 million in the category.
Promise was awarded $9,438 in the Clinical Quality Improver Awards category for demonstrating improvements in one or more clinical measures. All 14 community health centers in Iowa were recognized with that award. Nationwide, 993 health centers received about $19.7 million in the category.
In total, the $44,438 awarded to Promise was the sixth most of the 14 community health centers in Iowa even though it is the second smallest in patients served.HRSA acting administrator Jim Macrae said the grants award health centers that are achieving the highest levels of clinical quality performance and improvement.
“The awards will help health centers continue to provide comprehensive primary care to the nation’s most vulnerable communities,” Macrae said.
Promise is among more than 1,300 community health centers that provide care to nearly 23 million patients nationwide.
For a list of Quality Improvement Awards recipients for fiscal year 2015-16, click here.
Promise Community Health Center, headquartered in Sioux Center, is the only Federally Qualified Health Center in the far northwest corner of Iowa. To learn more, visit www.promisechc.org.