ORLEANS — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently recognized Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) for its outstanding commitment to quality care based on its performance last year.
HHS grants quality awards to the highest performing Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) nationwide and health centers with significant quality improvement gains compared to the previous year.
Northern Counties was designated as a National Quality Leader for being ranked in the top 1-2 percent of all health centers nationwide in clinical quality measures that promote diabetes health and behavioral health.
Northern Counties Health Care was one of only 65 health centers, out of 1,318 nationwide, and the only health center in Vermont to receive this designation.
“These awards recognize that Northern Counties is delivering on its mission to provide high-quality, accessible, patient-centered health care that helps patients, families, and communities thrive,” said Northern Counties Health Care CEO Michael Costa. “High-quality care is something built day by day, person by person, in acts of caring and compassion both big and small. This recognition from HHS is a tribute to each and every member of our team.”
Along with this accolade, NCHC was recognized as a Gold Level Health Center Quality Leader, ranking in the top ten percent of health centers nationally in clinical quality measures, and a Health Information Technology Leader for Quality in advancing telehealth, patient engagement, and collection of social determinants of health to increase access to care and advance quality.
“It truly takes a village committed to the relentless pursuit of improving care to achieve results like this,” said NCHC’s Director of Quality Initiatives, Compliance & Privacy Officer, Kari White. “To be named in the top ten percent of health and dental centers nationally, and in the top one to two percent for both behavioral care and diabetes care goes to show that we really do have some of the nation’s best health and dental care here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.”
NCHC encompasses five community health centers, three dental centers, and a certified home health care & hospice division providing a full spectrum of quality, affordable, and compassionate health care services to patients of all ages, throughout the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
For more information, visit www.nchcvt.org.
