HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration today announced 36 grants totaling $10 million to support the creation, further development and operation of health center networks and integrated information systems.   The grants are catalysts for the planning and implementation of integrated systems among health centers that will improve the quality of services and expand patients’ access to services.
 
“By taking advantage of new technology and forming networks, health centers can run more effeciently and strengthen their ability to care for people in need,” HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said.  “Millions of Americans rely on health centers for everything from routine primary care to highly specialized services, and these grants will help centers focus their efforts and resources into providing quality care.”
 
Specifically, HRSA awarded:
 

• Nine Health Center Operational Network grants totaling $2.3 million to support networks of three or more health centers that agree to share an essential function, including the purchase or lease of equipment, that will enable members to improve their business and clinical operations.
• Six Integrated Services Development Initiative Planning Grants totaling almost $570,000 to support health center planning efforts that will result in the establishment of a health center operational network.
• 12 Integrated Services Development Initiative Development Grants totaling $1.6 million to further develop and implement a health center operational network.
• Three Shared Integrated Management Information Systems (SIMIS) grants totaling $1.3 million to help health centers align their information systems with business objectives in an effort to improve health care and reduce costs.
• Six Integrated Communications Technology (ICT) grants totaling $4.2 million to support health center participation in HRSA’s Health Disparities Collaboratives by fostering the development of a technology infrastructure to integrate uniform clinical information with business systems and care management.

“Today’s grants help health centers boost efficiency in core functional areas, including administrative, clinical, managed care, finance, and information systems,” said HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke.  “Those improvements will result in more direct health care being made available to health center patients.”
 
Expanding health centers in underserved communities is a key component of the Bush Administration's broad strategy for expanding access to health care for the more than 40 million Americans without health insurance. More information about the President's initiatives to help the uninsured is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030211.html.
 
A list of grantees follows:
 

FY 2003 Health   Center   Operational Networks Grants
Organization	City	State	Award
Community Health Center Network	Oakland	Calif.	$285,000
Northeast Valley Health Corporation	San Fernando	Calif.	160,141
Colorado Community Managed Care Network	Denver	Colo.	188,259
Health Choice Network	Miami	Fla.	285,000
Neighborhood Health Care Network	St. Paul	Minn.	285,000
Community Health Access Network	Raymond	N.H.	275,309
La Clinica De Familia, Inc.	Las Cruces	N.M.	285,000
Klamath Health Partnership	Klamath Falls	Ore.	285,000
Southwest Virginia Community Health Services	Saltville	Va.	284,579
Total			$2,333,288

 
 

FY 2003 Integrated Services Development Initiative – Planning Grants
Organization	City	State	Award
Shasta Community Health Center	Redding	Calif.	$95,000
Kalihi-Palama Health Center	Honolulu	Hawaii	95,000
Eastport Health Care	Eastport	Maine	95,000
Outer Cape Health Services, Inc.	Orleans	Mass.	95,000
People's Health Center, Inc.	St. Louis	Mo.	95,000
Newark Community Health Centers	Newark	N.J.	94,839
Total			$569,839

 
 

FY 2003 Integrated Services Development Initiative – Development Grants
Organization	City	State	Award
Asian Health Services	Oakland	Calif.	$142,500
Coastal Health Alliance	Point Reyes	Calif.	142,500
Salud Family Health Center, Inc.	Ft. Lupton	Colo.	124,688
Chicago Health Outreach, Inc.	Chicago	Ill.	142,500
East Chicago Community Health Center	East Chicago	Ind.	142,500
Primary Health Care, Inc.	Des Moines	Iowa	142,500
Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center, Inc.	New Iberia	La.	142,500
South Cove Community Health Center, Inc.	Boston	Mass.	142,500
Cook Area Health Services, Inc.	Cook	Minn.	85,500
Family Health Center of Boone County	Columbia	Mo.	142,500
Keystone Rural Health Center	Wormleysburg	Pa.	115,938
Horizon Health Care, Inc.	Howard	S.D.	142,500
Total			$1,608,626

 
 

FY 2003 Shared Integrated Management Information Systems (SIMIS) grants
Organization	City	State	Award
Collier Health Services, Inc.	Cape Coral	Fla.	$467,458
Oregon Primary Care Association	Portland	Ore.	399,000
Wasatch Homeless Health Care/4th Street Clinic	Salt Lake City	Utah	427,500
Total			$1,293,958

 
 

FY 2003 Integrated Communications Technology (ICT) grants
Organization	City	State	Award
Community Health Centers of Pinellas, Inc.	St. Petersburg	Fla.	$1,045,000
Near North Health Services Corporation	Chicago	Ill.	950,000
Maine Primary Care Association	Augusta	Maine	569,426
Greene County Health Care	Snow Hill	N.C.	449,840
Oregon Primary Care Association	Portland	Ore.	712,500
West Virginia Primary Care Association	East Charleston	W.Va.	475,000
Total			$4,201,766