Nine Urban Indian Health Centers Achieve HRSA Community Health Quality Recognition Badges in 2023

In 2023, nine urban Indian organizations (UIOs) have received a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) Badge. The nine urban Indian organizations include: American Indian Health & Services, Inc., First Nations Community HealthSource, Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, Helena Indian Alliance, Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley, San Diego American Indian Health Center, Seattle Indian Health Board, and Hunter Health Clinic, Inc. In order to achieve a CHQR badge, a UIO must be a Health Center Program awardee or look-alike (LAL) and show quality improvements in one of these areas: access, quality, equity, health information technology, and COVID-19 public health emergency response. These badges are awarded annually, based on data from the latest Uniform Data System (UDS) reporting period. This shows how urban Indian organizations lead in high-quality patient care.

Background on HRSA and CHQRs

HRSA Health Center Program

HRSA funds and implements the Health Center Program to serve uninsured and Medicaid enrolled individuals and families, those who are uninsured and struggle to afford co-pays, experiencing homelessness, living in public housing, and those who have physical lack of access to care. There are approximately 1,400 HRSA-supported health centers and that provide healthcare services to 30 million patients. These health centers serve as cornerstones of essential preventive and primary care services. There are currently 10 dually-funded urban Indian organizations, meaning that they receive funding from both the HRSA Health Center Program and the Indian Health Service.

HRSA CHQR Badges

Each year, HRSA announces the top 10 percent of health centers receiving a Gold Health Center Quality Leader (HCQL) badge. These digital badges are awarded based on achievements in improving health outcomes and providing high-quality care for patients in rural and underserved communities. The CHQR badge program recognizes excellence by awarding both National Quality Leader Badges (NQLS) that acknowledge outstanding performance in many areas including behavioral health, maternal health, diabetes health, heart health, cancer screening, HIV prevention and care, and overall quality, as well as HCQL badges that acknowledge health centers for being access enhancers, reducing health disparities,  advancing health information technology (HIT), addressing social risk factors, and for being COVID-19 Public Health Champions.