Project Title: FY2022 Health Center Controlled Networks (HRSA 22-009) Applicant Organization: New Mexico Primary Care Association 4206 Louisiana Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 Applying as a Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN): Current HRSA HCCN Grant Number: H2QCS25645 Project Director: Robert Longstreet, Phone: 505-855-6963, email: rlongstreet@nmpca.org Number of Participating Health Centers: 17 Health Center Sites: 186 Cooperative Agreement Funds Requested: $625,000 The New Mexico Primary Care Association (H2QCS25645) requests $625,000 in funding under HRSA-22-009 to continue providing Health Information Technology (HIT) technical support and services to Community Health Centers in New Mexico. The HCCN includes 17 Participating Health Centers (PHCs) with 186 sites throughout the state of New Mexico (14 Health Center Program Grantees and 3 designated Look a Likes). NMPCA has provided HIT services and technical assistance since the 1990s. The predecessor of our current HCCN was established in 1998 and has managed HRSA IT funding since that time. Services previously provided through the HCCN include supporting the upgrade and optimization of data management systems including ONC certified EHRs, expanding interoperability and health information exchange, and developing technology-enabled solutions to improve patient engagement and staff satisfaction. Our Participating Health Centers (PHCs) provide patient-centered integrated care for medical, behavioral health and substance use disorders, and dental (directly or via contract) services. Our HCCN has provided support to PHCs as they utilize population health data platforms and take advantage of the opportunities and changes in reimbursement under value-based payment models. HCCN funding will support the ongoing collaboration among PHCs in the development and use of HIT. We will continue to build on the success of previous HCCN awards. We combine resources across PHCs and the HCCN t
o achieve significant economies of scale and improved return on investment in technology. HIT is costly to develop and deploy and through the HCCN our PHCs have access to services that are unaffordable or unavailable for the individual HC. The NMHCCN project will share resources, provide training, technical assistance, and data analytics to support quality measurement and improvement. The HCCN will leverage economies of scale and support health information exchange and interoperability between platforms. Our program provides technical expertise, vendor support, care team training, and quality reporting services coordinated to meet our members specific needs. The HCCN will focus on clinical quality, patient-centered care, and provider and staff well-being. The NMPCA HCCN will provide training and technical assistance that enables PHCs to deliver high-quality, culturally competent, equitable and comprehensive primary care and expand the utilization of digital health tools. Funding requested through this application will support these efforts for the three-year project period, August 1, 2022, through July 31, 2025.