About
Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Deemed Status Badge
Wood River Health is the recipient of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Deemed Status Badge. This badge is available to health centers that are currently FTCA deemed/received deeming by HRSA under the Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Act (FSHCAA). The Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Acts of 1992 and 1995 (FSHCAA) provides that certain persons, referred to as covered individuals (i.e., governing board members, officers, employees, and certain individual contractors) of FTCA covered entities (e.g., health centers that receive section 330 funds and have been approved for coverage or “deemed” as employees of the Public Health Service (PHS) by the Secretary) be treated as PHS employees for purposes of medical malpractice liability coverage. Covered activities are acts or omissions in the performance of medical, surgical, dental, or related functions resulting in personal injury, including death, and occurring within the scope of employment (including within the approved scope of project). This means that a covered entity or individual is immune and will not be financially liable for any claims arising from covered activities. Congress’ intent was to increase the availability of funds to health centers to provide primary health care services by reducing or eliminating health centers’ malpractice insurance premiums.
Federally Qualified Health Center
Wood River Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). This means we are a health care provider that provides primary care services to underserved communities of people.
Our two locations in Hope Valley and Westerly serve the communities of Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton, Westerly, Exeter and West Greenwich, and southeastern Connecticut.
FQHC's receive funds from the HRSA Health Center Program to provide primary care services in underserved areas. As an FQHC, Wood River Health must adhere to a stringent set of requirements including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on the ability to pay and operating under a governing board that includes at least 51% patient-members.
Patient-Centered Medical Home
Wood River Health is designated as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, managed behavioral healthcare organizations, preferred provider organizations, new health plans, physician organizations, credentials verification organizations, disease management programs and other health-related programs. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and manages the evolution of HEDIS®, the performance measurement tool used by more than 90 percent of the nation’s health plans. NCQA is governed by a Board of Directors that includes employers, consumers, health plans, quality experts, policy makers and representatives from organized medicine. NCQA’s website contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. Consumers can easily access organizations’ NCQA statuses and other information on health care quality on NCQA’s website at www.ncqa.org, or by calling NCQA Customer Support at (888) 275-7585.NCQA’s mission is to improve the quality of health care.
A Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams.
Research shows PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction—while reducing health care costs. Practices that earn recognition have made a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care.
To learn more about waht it means to be a PCMH, watch this video.
Health Center Quality Leader
Wood River Health is recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Gold Health Center Quality Leader, which is awarded to only 10% of community health care centers in the United States. This credential means that Wood River Health has been designated as a model for excellence in the health care delivery and a leader in the promotion of community well-being.
NQL badges are awarded to health center awardees and look-alikes that meet or exceed national benchmarks for one or more of the clinical quality measure (CQMs) groups that promote behavioral health, heart health, diabetes health, HIV prevention and care, and maternal and child health.
HRSA’s annual Community Health Center Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges are based on Uniform Data System (UDS), an annual reporting system that provides standardized information about the performance and operation of health centers delivering health care services to underserved communities and vulnerable populations. The HCQL Gold badge recognizes the top 10% of health centers based on quality measures submitted to the UDS in the last reporting period. Only 149 health centers in the country received this recognition in 2023.
Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality
This badge recognizes health centers that meet all criteria to optimize Health Information Technology services. Eligibility is calculated using UDS data and qualified health centers must meet the following five criteria:
- Adopted an electronic health record (EHR) system
- Offers telehealth services
- Exchanges clinical information electronically with key providers in health care settings
- Engages patients through health IT
- Collects data on patient social risk factors
Access Enhancer
The Access Enhancer badge recognizes health centers that have increased the total number of patients who receive at least one comprehensive service (mental health, substance use disorder, vision, dental, and/or enabling service) by at least 5% during consecutive UDS reporting periods. To be eligible, a health center must achieve at least one HCQL or NQL badge, or demonstrate at least a 15% improvement in one or more CQMs between consecutive reporting periods.
Health Disparities Reducer
The Health Disparities Reducer badge recognizes health centers that qualify for the Access Enhancer badge and meet at least one of the following two criteria: demonstrate at least a 10% improvement in low birth weight, hypertension control, or uncontrolled diabetes CQMs during consecutive UDS reporting years for at least one racial/ethnic group, while maintaining or improving the health center’s overall CQM performance from the previous reporting year. They also must meet certain benchmarks for all racial/ethnic groups served within the most recent UDS reporting year.
Target: Type 2 Diabetes
Wood River Health has been recognized by the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Gold Award for its commitment to addressing the relationship between diabetes and the risk of heart disease and stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure for people living with Type 2 diabetes. However, a recent survey, by The Harris Poll, of people ages 45 and older with Type 2 diabetes found only half recognize their risk or have discussed their risk for heart attacks or strokes with their health care providers.
Target: BP
Wood River Health has been recognized by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association for its commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning silver-level recognition as part of the Target: BP™ initiative. The Silver award recognizes practices that have demonstrated a commitment to improving blood pressure control through measurement accuracy.
Target: BP is a national collaboration between the American Heart Association and American Medical Association aimed at reducing the number of adults in the U.S. who suffer from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems and patients to prioritize BP control. The initiative aims to help health care organizations improve blood pressure control rates using evidence-based protocols and recognizes Wood River Health’s commitment to improving hypertension control.
Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™
Wood River Health received the 2023 Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ Award for its ongoing commitment to lowering cholesterol and improving care management within your patient population. This award demonstrates Wood River Health's commitment to reducing the number of Americans at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Outstanding HEDIS Performance
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (Neighborhood) identified Wood River Health as a top performer based on Measurement Year 2022 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) results for its Medicaid population. HEDIS is one of health care’s most widely used performance improvement tools. More than 227 million people are enrolled in plans that report HEDIS results.
Not only did we achieve the Medicaid Quality Compass 90th percentile, we achieved the highest performance in Neighborhood Health Plan's network on the following HEDIS measure(s):
- Antidepressant Medication Management - Effective Acute Phase
- Antidepressant Medication Management - Continuation Phase
- Follow-up After High-Intensity Care for Substance Use Disorder - 7 Days
- Follow-up After High-Intensity Care for Substance Use Disorder - 30 Days