Smithville, Miss. – Access Family Health Services (ACCESS) is the recipient of six Community Health Center Quality Recognition (CHCQR) awards presented by the Health Resources and services Administration (HRSA). The CHQR awards recognize health centers that have excelled in the areas of quality, health equity, and health information technology during the 2020 Uniform Data System reporting period. Additionally, COVID-19 awards were recently added to recognize health centers’ contributions to the public health emergency response in the areas of data collection, testing, and vaccinations.
“Recently, we were recognized by HRSA with several Community Health Center Quality Recognition awards in acknowledgment of the high quality of care that we provide to our patients. I am grateful that our hard working medical, dental, and behavioral health providers and staff are receiving the recognition they deserve for the work they do every day with dedication and compassion,” said Marilyn Sumerford, ACCESS’ Executive Director.
ACCESS was presented the Gold Health Center Quality Leader award, Access Enhancer award, Health Disparities Reducer Award, Advancing Health Information Technology for Quality award, Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition award, and the COVID-19 Testing award. According to HRSA, those awarded the Gold Badge are among the top 10% of health centers in the country and ACCESS is one of only two CHCs in Mississippi to achieve the Gold Tier designation. ACCESS was recognized with the Health Disparities Reducer award for having met or exceeded Healthy People goals for hypertension or diabetes for at least one racial minority group with at least 10% improvement.
In addition to being recognized for the quality of care provided, ACCESS received the Access Enhancer Award for increasing the patients served during 2020 by more than 5%. HRSA also recognized ACCESS for Advancing Health Information for Quality. This award was given to health centers that met all criteria to optimize health information technology services that advance telehealth, patient engagement, interoperability, and collection of Social Determinants of Health information to increase access to care and advance quality of care. Access Family Health Services’ clinics are accredited through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and recognized as Primary Care Medical Homes.
According to Sumerford, “In past years, there were quality grant funds attached to these awards.“ This year, she said, “There were no monetary awards. It was just the satisfaction of knowing that we were able to help our patients improve their health in the midst of the challenges of a pandemic.”
Protecting our communities against COVID-19 is an institutional priority. Access has provided over 9,000 Covid-19 tests and over 9,300 vaccines both within health centers and throughout the ACCESS service area. Access Family Health Services operates 16 clinics, including 10 school-based health clinics in five northeast Mississippi counties. The mission of ACCESS is affordable, comprehensive healthcare and education with superior service.