HHS announced on August 25, 2020 that, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS has awarded over $117 million in quality improvement awards to 1,318 health centers. HRSA-funded health centers provide comprehensive care for uninsured and low-income patients. The awards are intended to improve access to primary care services and promote quality improvement projects.

The quality improvement awards recognize both those health centers that demonstrated significant quality improvements over the past year and those that are the highest-performing overall. Health centers were recognized for achievements in areas including cost efficiency, quality of care, reduction in health disparities, access to comprehensive care, increased volume of people served, improved use of health information technology, and achievement of patient-center medical home recognition.

HRSA-funded health centers serve approximately one in eleven people nationally, according to HHS. They not only serve as a safety net for the medically underserved but have also been on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Health centers have provided over 3 million COVID-19 tests and have continued to provide care throughout the pandemic.

The HHS press release is available here. The list of award recipients is available here.