U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell recently announced that $491,986 in Affordable Care Act funding would be awarded to 16 health centers in Minnesota to recognize health center quality improvement achievements. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in Grand Marais is one of the facilities being recognized. The clinic will receive $29,699 to invest in ongoing quality improvement activities. Clinic Director Rita Plourde said, “The Sawtooth Mountain staff is grateful to have been awarded this additional funding.”
“This funding rewards Minnesota health centers that have a proven track record in clinical quality improvement, which translates to better patient care, and it allows them to expand and improve their systems and infrastructure to bring the highest quality primary care services to the communities they serve,” said Secretary Burwell. “With these funds, health centers in Minnesota will continue to provide access to high quality, comprehensive primary and preventive health care to the patients that need it the most.”
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic was recognized as a “health center quality leader” because it was among the top 30 percent of all health centers that achieved the best overall clinical outcomes, demonstrating its ability to focus on quality in all aspects of its clinical operations. Seven Minnesota health centers received funding in this category for approximately $185,182, with Sawtooth Mountain Clinic receiving $22,350.
Director Plourde said, “The clinical service team works extremely hard to identify and better serve the individual needs of our patients, most importantly those with chronic diseases. This funding award will assist in facilitating access to increased services such as support for care coordination for our patients.”
Sawtooth Mountain Clinic received an additional award of $7,350 for its use of electronic health record (EHR) reporting. Plourde explained, “The Electronic Health Record is a tool that helps us continue to track, review, evaluate and improve health care services.”
The Clinic was one of only four Minnesota health centers which received funding in the EHR category. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services noted that use of EHR is a “key transformational step in driving quality improvement for all health center patients across the nation.”
“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 (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.
In Minnesota, 16 HRSA-supported health centers operate more than 82 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 174,593 patients. Nationally, nearly 1,300 HRSA-supported health centers operate more than 9,200 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 22 million patients in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin.
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