The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded Mountain Family Health Centers a total of $112,070 for its dedication to quality improvement.
One in eight residents of Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin County rely on Mountain Family for affordable, accessible primary medical, dental and behavioral health care. HRSA made the awards for Mountain Family to use for further quality improvement in six of nine categories, including clinical quality improvement, advanced use of electronic health record and health information technology, and achievement of national patient-centered home recognition by the National Committee on Quality Assurance, the highest national recognition a primary-care practice can receive, a press release says.
Among the largest awards were two for increasing access to care and addressing health disparities. These awards recognize Mountain Family’s mission of providing “high-quality, integrated primary medical, behavioral and dental health care in Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties, with special consideration for the underserved, regardless of ability to pay,” the release says.
“It is very gratifying to be recognized among our peer community health centers for the extraordinary effort our organization has made to improve the quality of our care in each of these categories,” said Ross Brooks, Mountain Family Health Centers chief executive officer. “More than 20,400 persons call Mountain Family their health-care home, and we strive to provide the highest quality care and patient experience, at the lowest cost, to improve the health of the community.”
According to HRSA, the goal of the quality-improvement awards is to improve clinical quality, improve patient outcomes, and increase access to comprehensive primary-care services, while recognizing health centers’ efforts that support ongoing quality improvement. With the announcement of the awards, HRSA also commended the efforts of the nation’s community health centers as the backbone of the nation’s primary health-care system.
Dr. Annelise Heckert, site medical director for Mountain Family’s Basalt health center, said she is “proud of the work our employees do to further the success of the integrated care model to deliver high-quality medical, dental and behavioral health care to the people we serve. Quality care is something we strive for with every patient interaction we have. Keeping our patients in the center makes it easy to remember where our greatest priority is.”
For more information on Mountain Family Health Centers, visit www.mountainfamily.org.