Wheeler Receives Federal Quality Recognition for Health Center Services

Tied for the most awards in the state, Wheeler received six out of eight Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) following an annual Uniform Data System (UDS) review for 2021.The Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges recognize Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes (LALs) that have made notable quality improvement achievements in the areas of access, quality, health equity, health information technology, and COVID-19 public health emergency response.In nearly every case, the awards received by Wheeler placed it in the top one-third of centers nationally.Categories for which Wheeler was recognized include:• Health Center Quality Leader (Bronze) recognizes achievement of the best overall clinical quality measure performance among all health centers through the following tiers: Gold (top 10%), Silver (top 11-20%), or Bronze (top 21-30%). Wheeler was among nearly 30% of health centers nationally to receive this award.• Access Enhancer acknowledges increases in the total number of patients served and the number of patients who receive at least one comprehensive service (mental health, substance abuse, vision, dental, and/or enabling) by at least 5%. Wheeler was among 38.16% of health centers nationally to receive this award.• Health Disparities Reducer recognizes health centers that demonstrate improvements in selected clinical quality measures in consecutive UDS reporting years, 2020 and 2021, for at least one racial/ethnic group(s); or meets established benchmarks for all racial/ethnic groups served within the most recent UDS reporting year. Wheeler was among 32.77% of health centers nationally to receive this award.• Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality is awarded to health centers that meet all criteria for optimizing HIT services that advance telehealth, patient engagement, interoperability, and collection of social determinants of health data to increase access to care and advance quality of care.• Addressing Social Risk Factors recognizes health centers that screen for social risk factors affecting patient health and are increasing access to enabling services. Wheeler is among only 24.84% of community health centers nationally to receive this award.• Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition is awarded to health centers with patient centered medical home (PCMH) recognition in one or more delivery sites.For more than 55 years, health centers have delivered affordable, accessible, quality, and cost-effective health care services to patients. Today, about 1,400 health centers operate more than 13,000 service delivery sites that provide care to more than 29 million patients nationwide. By providing patients access to high quality, value-based care, health centers are uniquely positioned to meet the nation's most pressing health care needs, as well as emerging health priorities, including the continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s opioid crisis, and HIV/AIDS.“More than recognition, these awards reflect our steadfast commitment to providing high-quality services for the whole person and achieving the very best outcomes for our patients and communities,” said Sabrina Trocchi, PhD, MPA, president and chief executive officer, Wheeler.Wheeler Family Health & Wellness CentersWheeler’s Family Health & Wellness Centers in Hartford, Bristol, New Britain, Plainville, and Waterbury are community health centers that provide medical and dental care for the whole family, as well as behavioral health care and referral and linkages to specialty services.Wheeler's Health & Wellness Centers in Hartford, Bristol, and New Britain are funded in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Wheeler is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial health insurance welcome. No patient will be denied health care services due to an individual’s inability to pay for services.Improvements to the Family Health & Wellness Center in Hartford are supported in part by the State of Connecticut Nonprofit Grant Program, the Connecticut Health & Educational Facilities Authority, the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, and the Ensworth Charitable Foundation. Additional support is provided by Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation.WheelerWheeler provides comprehensive solutions that address complex health issues, providing individuals, families and communities with accessible, innovative care that encourages health, recovery, and growth at all stages of life. Our integrated approach to primary and behavioral health, education, and recovery creates measurable results, positive outcomes, and hopeful tomorrows for more than 50,000 individuals across Connecticut each year: www.WheelerHealth.org.