A local health center was one of 27 in Georgia that recently received funding as part of a $684,979 Affordable Care Act package to recognize quality-improvement achievements and invest in ongoing quality-improvement activities.  
Diversity Health Center in Ludowici received $55,549 in funding thanks to its high level of quality performance.
Georgia health centers receiving awards are proven leaders in areas such as chronic disease management, preventive care and the use of electronic health records to report quality data, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell.
“This funding rewards Georgia health centers that have a proven track record in clinical quality improvement, which translates to better patient care, and it allows them to expand and improve their systems and infrastructure to bring the highest quality primary-care services to the communities they serve,” Burwell said. “With these funds, health centers in Georgia will continue to provide access to high-quality, comprehensive primary and preventive health care to the patients that need it the most.”
Georgia health centers receiving these funds are being recognized for high levels of quality performance in one or more of the following categories:
• Health center quality leaders received awards if they were among the top 30 percent of all health centers that achieved the best overall clinical outcomes, demonstrating their ability to focus on quality in all aspects of their clinical operations. Nine health centers in the state received funding in this category for approximately $226,977.
 • Clinical quality improvers received awards if they demonstrated at least a 10 percent improvement in clinical quality measures between 2012 and 2013, showing a significant improvement in the health of the patients they serve. In Georgia, 25 health centers received funding in this category for approximately $352,999.
 • Electronic health record reporters received funding if they used EHRs to report clinical quality measure data on all of their patients, a key transformational step in driving quality improvement for all health-center patients across the nation. Seven state health centers received funding in this category for approximately $105,000.
“These funds reward and support those health centers that have taken steps to achieve the highest levels of clinical quality performance and improvement,” said Administrator Dr. Mary K. Wakefield of the Health Resources and Services Administration.
In Georgia, 33 HRSA-supported health centers operate more than 180 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 338,996 patients.
Nationally, nearly 1,300 HRSA-supported health centers operate more than 9,200 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 22 million patients in every state, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin.