Posted By Hope Alfaro On October 12, 2016
Improve quality and Improve Funding for FQHCs
As the cost of healthcare continues to rise, the federal government looks to push preventative care and improved quality among Federally Qualified Health Centers. This can often lead to available grant funding awarded to Centers that can show improvement in preventable diseases and health issues. Recently, four FQHCs in Northeast Mississippi were awarded more than $250,000 in grant funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for their quality improvement efforts. These grants were awarded for improvements in clinical quality areas and outcomes for patients with issues like hypertension and diabetes. The grant money will go to furthering each center’s quality efforts, through equipment, supplies, training and technology improvements.
Improving health outcomes for patients is a constant goal for FQHCs and having the right partners and technology can help. Your Electronic Health Record is a major place to start when looking to streamline efficiency and clinical outcomes and quality. Making sure your EHR has the right options and background to support your organization can be a key step in improving clinical quality and increasing your options for grant funding.
Part of improving outcomes is ensuring your patients show up for appointments and have the right information for their conditions. Your EHR should have program options and sliding fee scales to ensure patients have an easy check-in experience. There should also be communication and appointment reminder options to decrease no-shows without burdening administrative and clinical staff with the task of making calls.
You should also make sure your workflow is optimized for your new technology and goals. You don’t want clinical staff using the same methods from paper charting in your EHR. When your clinic runs smoothly and efficiently, you can better serve patients and improve their outcomes.
For more information on Grants and Funding for FQHCs, visit the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Center Grants website.
For more information on the grant winners in Mississippi, see the article in The Daily Journal