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Community Health Centers, Inc. (CHCI) participates in a national Quality Improvement Program called the Health Disparities Initiative. Mary Mahoney Memorial Health Center, Healing Hands Health Care Services and Mary Mahoney at Langston all participate in the Diabetes Collaborative in an effort to improve health outcomes for people who have diabetes. Mary Mahoney and Healing Hands sites participate in an Access and Redesign Collaborative. Reducing the wait for an appointment is an access measure that we strive to improve. Redesign involves reducing wait time at a clinic appointment.
The Health Disparities Initiative, a program designed and supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA/BPHC) to eliminate disparities in the delivery of healthcare to all individuals living in the United States.
CHCI participation includes agreement to adopt shared national measures, as well as local measures based on proven guidelines. Measures are aligned with expert guidelines, external reporting requirements such as HEDIS or other community standards of care. One important measure every HRSA Health Disparities Collaborative is “patient self-management” since supporting self-care is an integral part of the chronic care model, crossing all conditions as well as prevention.
CHCI is continuing to receive support for quality improvement from coaching and feedback as well as annual learning sessions and phone conferences. Change is difficult and hard work is required, but our organization strives to make continual improvements.
The Diabetes Collaborative improvement measures are designed to improve health outcomes for those who have diabetes. The Medical Providers at CHCI follow proven guidelines based on the best evidence found in medicine today. Key measures include:
- Ordering a HbA1c at least 3 months apart
- Patients HbA1c controlled to less than 7.0
- Documentation of assisting patient with a self-management goal
- Patients’ Blood Pressure controlled to less than 130/80
- Referral for a dilated foot exam each year
- Comprehensive foot exam each year
- Patients screen for depression
- Patients have an influenza vaccination each year
- Patients have a Pneumococcal Vaccine when medically indicated
- Patients referred for a dental exam each year
- Patients are also counseled on reducing or elimination of tobacco use
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