The GRACE Community Clinic received the first-ever Gold Quality Standards seal from the NAFC.
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) selected the GRACE Community Clinic to be in the inaugural class of Gold Quality Standards for 2020. The NAFC announced the launch of the Quality Standards Program earlier this month.
“This is great news for the Community Clinic,” said Clinic Nurse Manager Shirley Roberts, RN, BAS, CCM. “We are so excited.”
Nurse Shirley and her team have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic since early March, and instituted telehealth programs and preventative measures to ensure the wellness and safety of GRACE clients throughout the crisis. More than 900 of Shirley’s patients consider the Clinic to be their medical home.
The NAFC initiated the Quality Standards Program to quantify and qualify the care provided at charitable clinics across the country.
“Each year, approximately 2 million patients receive care at 1,400 charitable clinics and pharmacies throughout the United States,” said Nicole Lamoureux, NAFC president and CEO. “The participation from our members in this program demonstrates their commitment to providing quality care to medically underserved people in their communities.”
Like other NAFC members that participated in the program, GRACE voluntarily submitted information to NAFC on the policies and procedures guiding the operations of the Community Clinic. In this inaugural year, 581 NAFC members earned ratings. Of those, 68% received gold ratings, 17% received a silver rating, and 15% received bronze ratings.
NAFC Quality Standards include policies and procedures related to the following areas: Administrative, Enhanced Access and Continuity of Care, Identifying and Managing Patient Population Information, Planning and Managing Care, Providing Self-Care Support and Community Resources, Tracking and Coordinating Care, and Measuring and Improving Performance.
“These standards help us to showcase your quality of care to policy makers, partners, funders, and stakeholders,” said Ariana Gordillo, NAFC director of strategic initiatives. “Additionally, the standards will assist the NAFC in developing resources that will help our other members enhance the care they provide to patients.”
The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics is the only nonprofit organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality health care for all. Click here for more information about the NAFC. Please follow the NAFC on Twitter and on Facebook.
