HHS awards $100m to improve primary care delivery nationwide

HHS has granted more than $100 million to 1,304 health centers in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., five U.S. territories and three freely associated states, all aimed at expanding ongoing quality improvement initiatives and improving primary care service delivery.

“Millions of Americans rely on health centers to provide them with quality health care,” HHS Acting Deputy Secretary Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, said in a press release. “These quality improvement awards will support health centers to continue to deliver superior health care that engages patients, improves care coordination and bridges overall access to care.”

Health centers receiving the grants were chosen based on performance in a variety of categories, including improving quality of care, advancing health equity, maintaining patient-centered medical home recognition, enhancing access to care and delivering value. The money was made available through the Affordable Care Act’s Community Health Center Fund, which was extended in the 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

A full list of the grant recipients can be viewed here: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/programopportunities/qualityimprovement/fy16awards.

According to HHS, nearly 1,400 health centers operate in more than 9,800, providingcare to more than 24 million people, and employing approximately 190,000.

“Health centers are evaluated on a set of performance measures emphasizing health outcomes and the value of care delivered,” Jim Macrae, MA, MPP, acting administrator for the HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration, said in a press release. “These measures provide a balanced, comprehensive look at services to manage conditions among the vulnerable populations served by health centers.”

Addition reading:

http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html

http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/