HHS Awards $100M to Health Centers for Quality Improvement
Over 1,000 health centers have received awards from HHS to support quality improvement initiatives and boost primary care services.
By - The Department of Health and Human Services recently granted over $100 million in awards to 1,304 health centers across the nation to help improve care quality and boost primary care services, according to the federal department’s website.
“Millions of Americans rely on health centers to provide them with quality healthcare,” said Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, HHS Acting Deputy Secretary. “These quality improvement awards will support health centers to continue to deliver superior healthcare that engages patients, improves care coordination and bridges overall access to care.”
Health centers are becoming a key site of care for a growing number of Americans. There are currently about 1,400 health centers that operate over 9,800 care sites, the federal department reported. The centers deliver care to more than 24 million patients in every part of the country.
Through the awards, HHS intends to help health centers build on existing quality improvement efforts. The centers can use the funds to expand quality improvement systems and infrastructure as well as improve primary care delivery within the community.
Each health center that was selected for the award demonstrated high levels of quality care performance based on specific categories, HHS noted. The federal department chose health centers that scored well on one or more of its categories, including improving quality of care, advancing health equity, patient-centered medical home recognition, improving access to care, and delivering high-value care.
“Health centers are evaluated on a set of performance measures emphasizing health outcomes and the value of care delivered,” said Jim Macrae, Acting Director of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). “These measures provide a balanced, comprehensive look at services to manage conditions among the vulnerable populations served by health centers.”
The funding for the awards stems from the Affordable Care Act’s Community Health Center Fund, which was recently extended by MACRA.
The awards also support the HRSA-sponsored Health Center Program. The initiative helps current and prospective health centers develop and implement quality improvement efforts and provides funding to qualifying centers. Individuals can also find local health centers through the program’s website.
Additionally, the recent HHS health center awards contribute to the federal department’s aim to improve and increase access to primary care services. In July, HRSA announced that it awarded over $149 million to increase the number of primary care workers across the country.
The grants were given to 12 workplace programs that train, educate, and support potential primary care providers, including physicians and nurses. HRSA intended for the funds to promote diversity, equalize distribution of clinicians, and improve quality of care.
“These awards will help increase access to quality healthcare for all Americans by educating and training culturally competent providers who are prepared to practice in high-need areas,” said Macrae in July. “By encouraging partnerships among academic institutions, clinicians, healthcare sites and public health entities, we can improve health outcomes in underserved communities.”
“Our vision is to positively impact every aspect of the health professional’s career, from education and training to service. These awards will increase the number of health professionals providing quality care to the nation’s most vulnerable populations.”
Primary care services have become a focal point as most healthcare providers transition to value-based care. The new care delivery and reimbursement strategy encourages patients to seek primary care service in lieu of more expensive options, such as the emergency department. Through most models, primary care providers are the center of a patient’s care and they are expected to coordinate with other physicians.
Through various awards, HHS aims to support and improve primary care services, especially as it continues to work towards its goal of tying 50 percent of Medicare payments to alternative payment models by 2018.
Dig Deeper:
• What Clinical Quality Measures Mean to Healthcare Providers
• Value-Based Care Penalties Spark Greater Quality Improvements
