Another congratulations to Wood River Health

Wood River Health earns gold in health care delivery

Wood River Health has been recognized by the Health Resources & Services Administration as a Health Center Quality Leader, which is awarded to only 10% of community health care centers in the United States. This credential demonstrates that Wood River Health is a model for excellence in health care delivery and a leader in the promotion of community well-being.

“This year, Wood River Health was awarded the 2023 Health Center Quality Leader (HCQL) Gold badge. Only 149 health centers in the country received this recognition in 2023,” stated Wood River Health’s President and CEO Alison L. Croke, MHA. 

“This accomplishment was achievable because all of our departments work as a team to provide the highest quality of care for the members of our community.  This team includes both the clinicians who work face-to-face with patients and families, as well as the clinical data analysts who work behind the scenes to ensure our data and reporting are accurate.” 

HRSA’s annual Community Health Center Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges are based on the Uniform Data System (UDS), an annual reporting system that provides standardized information about the performance and operation of health centers delivering health care services to underserved communities and vulnerable populations. The HCQL Gold badge recognizes the top 10% of health centers based on quality measures submitted to the UDS in the last reporting period. 

NQL badges are awarded to health center awardees and look-alikes that meet or exceed national benchmarks for one or more of the clinical quality measure (CQM) groups that promote behavioral health, heart health, diabetes health, HIV prevention and care, and maternal and child health.

To be eligible for a National Quality Leader badge, health centers must report a minimum number of patients in a clinical quality measure’s (CQM) denominator. 

They must report at least 70 patients in each CQM denominator and meet/exceed the benchmark threshold for all CQMs in a given National Quality Leader category. The only exceptions are the HIV linkage to care CQM for the HIV Prevention and Care badge and the low birthweight CQM for the Maternal and Child Health badge, both of which require a minimum of 30 patients in the CQM denominator.

Wood River Health also received badges for Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality, Health Disparities Reducer, and Access Enhancer.

The Advancing HIT for Quality badge recognizes health centers that meet all criteria to optimize Health Information Technology services. Qualified health centers must meet the following five criteria: Adopted an electronic health record (EHR) system; Offers telehealth services; exchanges clinical information electronically with key providers in health care settings; engages patients through health IT; and collects data on patient social risk factors.

The Access Enhancer badge recognizes health centers that have increased the total number of patients who receive at least one comprehensive service (mental health, substance use disorder, vision, dental, and/or enabling service) by at least 5% during consecutive UDS reporting periods. To be eligible, a health center must achieve at least one HCQL or NQL badge or demonstrate at least a 15% improvement in one or more CQMs between consecutive reporting periods.

The Health Disparities Reducer badge recognizes health centers that qualify for the Access Enhancer badge and meet at least one of the following two criteria: demonstrate at least a 10% improvement in low birth weight, hypertension control, or uncontrolled diabetes CQMs during consecutive UDS reporting years for at least one racial/ethnic group, while maintaining or improving the health center’s overall CQM performance from the previous reporting year. They also must meet certain benchmarks for all racial/ethnic groups served within the most recent UDS reporting year.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides equitable health care to the nation’s highest-need communities. It serves people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs support people with low incomes, people with HIV, pregnant people, children, parents, rural communities, transplant patients, and other communities in need, as well as the health workforce, health systems, and facilities that care for them.

About Wood River Health

Since 1976, Wood River Health has delivered medical, dental and social services to the communities of southwestern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. Its mission is to provide its patients with high-quality and affordable health care services through a compassionate, team-based approach. Its vision is for every member of its community to experience physical, emotional and social well-being.

A private, non-profit Community Health Center, Wood River Health is devoted to providing quality patient care to over 8,600 patients. It is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Wood River Health receives funds from the HRSA Health Center Program to provide primary care services in underserved areas. For more information, visit WoodRiverHealth.org.