A total of 1,304 health centers across 50 states and the District of Columbia will divide $100 million to help boost healthcare quality, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced.
The funds are earmarked to expand quality improvement systems and infrastructure and to improve primary care service delivery.
"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," HHS Acting Deputy Secretary Mary Wakefield said in a statement.
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"Health centers are evaluated on a set of performance measures emphasizing outcomes and the value of care delivered," added Health Resources and Services Administration Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. "These measures provide a balanced, comprehensive look at services to manage conditions among the vulnerable populations served by health centers."
Health centers are receiving the funds based on high levels of performance in one or more of the following categories: improving quality of care, advancing health equity, maintaining patient-centered medical home recognition, enhancing access to care, and delivering value.
The funding comes from the Affordable Care Act's Community Health Center Fund, which was extended with bipartisan support in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also known as MACRA.
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