Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCN) are groups of safety net providers providing care to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. HCCNs work together to improve access to care, improve the quality of care, and achieve cost efficiencies by redesigning practices to optimize patient outcomes.
The networks work together to adopt and implement certified EHR technology, meet meaningful use under Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, improve clinical and operational quality, reduce health disparities, improve population health through health IT, and achieve patient-centered medical home recognition.
Funding support is achieved through HRSA’s HCCN grant program. In the grant announcement (HRSA-16-010) posted December 2, 2015 at www.grants.gov, HRSA plans to award about $33 million to an estimated HCCNs in FY 2016.
Eligible applicants must be a HCCN that is majority controlled and at least majority owned by a health center program award recipient. Eligible applicants can also be a health center that has been funded for at least two consecutive preceding years as a health center program award recipient applying on behalf of an HCCN.
Proposals need to discuss how the group deals with purchasing power and shared resources, staff, infrastructure and training, discuss data and analytic expertise, and discuss multiple health IT products and vendors.
The funding announcement includes four required goals. Applicants must propose at least two activities within the core objectives to achieve each of the required goals:
- Core Objective A—Health IT Implementation and Meaningful Use
- Core Objective B—Data Quality and Reporting
- Core Objective C—Health Information Exchange and Population Health Management
- Core Objective D—Quality Improvement