Organization earns first-ever Health Center Quality Leader Award
BELOIT, Wis.— Community Health Systems, Inc.’s (CHS) culture for providing high quality comprehensive care continues to be recognized and for the first time ever, receives the Health Center Quality Leader Award, ranking CHS among the top 10% of health centers for best overall clinical performance.
On Monday, August 25th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Health Resources and Human Services (HRSA), announced quality improvement awards. These awards recognized the highest performing health centers nationwide as well as centers that have made significant quality improvement gains from the previous year.
CHS was awarded $38,382 and was recognized in three categories: Health Center Quality Leader, Clinical Quality Enhancer, and Advancing Health Information Technology. The funds are designated to further strengthen quality improvement activities and expand quality primary healthcare service delivery.
Ruth Amenda, Director of Quality for CHS, leads the Quality Committee at the health center.
“Even during COVID-19, our staff is very dedicated to quality and delivering the best care possible to our patients. We focus on each patient and their unique needs by asking the right questions for the best health outcomes. It is so exciting that for the first time ever, HRSA has awarded CHS as a “Health Center Quality Leader”, an achievement that reflects our staff’s commitment to our patients,” said Amenda.
In 2019, CHS was consistently ranked number one among all community health centers in Wisconsin for depression screenings, cervical cancer screenings, and body mass index screening. In 2019, the clinic was the medical home to 9,632 patients of which 54% are children.
Although COVID-19 has thrown a curve ball in the way clinics provide care, Mary Beth Johnson, Chief Executive Officer for CHS, reaffirms the clinic’s commitment to quality remains as a top priority.
“I am so proud of our resilient team. This wonderful award speaks volumes of the quality care that our team provides. The public health pandemic has certainly changed the way we provide care such as offering virtual visits, along with outdoor lab testing for patient added safety precautions. One thing that has not changed is a reduction in quality care. One of the major focuses of quality care is disease prevention with a focus on screenings and routine assessments, which provide better clinical outcomes. Engaging patients by providing health education such as, proper nutrition, tobacco cessation, and proper oral care, are quality initiatives that set patients up to be successful in managing their own healthcare.
Johnson added that the funds awarded will help CHS continue to improve cost efficient care delivery while increasing quality of care, reducing health disparities, increasing patient’s ability to access comprehensive services, and advancing the use of health information technology.
CHS continues to offer most medical, dental, and behavioral health appointments virtually, drive through COVID-19 testing, emergency dental services, and free Medicaid and Marketplace insurance enrollment. The clinic is currently accepting new patients.
For more information about BACHC, contact Ana Montoya at (608) 313-3376.
