BURRILLVILLE – A Pascoag-based health center has been named among the best in the country for the third consecutive year, receiving a gold Community Health Quality Recognition award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Well One Primary Medical and Dental Care, also known as Northwest Community Health Care, is the only health center in the state to earn the designation for three consecutive years.
The awards recognize achievements in improving health outcomes and providing high-quality care for patients in rural and underserved communities, honoring health centers across the country that have attained the best overall clinical quality performance. Recipients were announced earlier this month with recognition by the Biden-Harris Administration with only the top 10 percent of health centers nationally receiving the Gold Health Center Quality Leader badge.
“Health centers are an essential part of America’s health care safety net, providing access to high-quality preventive and primary care in the highest need communities across the country,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “We at HRSA are proud to support and partner with these health centers, which not only provide care to patients regardless of their ability to pay but also consistently deliver excellent care that exceeds national quality standards.”
This year, four additional health centers in Rhode Island earned the, “gold,” designation, but only Well One had also been named among the top ten percent in the U.S. in both 2021 and 2022. Started in Burrillville more than 100 years ago with a single nurse in a horse and buggy caring for all of the town villages, Well One today has additional locations in Foster, Scituate and North Kingstown, and served 16,254 patients in 2022, according to federal data. The center has long offered medical, dental and behavioral health services with offices along Bridge Way and Pascoag Main St., and has expanded in recent years to include specialty care, with services provided by more than 100 employees.
In September, Well One’s governing board was named the first recipient of Rhode Island Health Center Association Jane Hayward Award, created to honor dedicated leaders in the community health center movement.
A release on the new HRSA rankings noted that in 2022, health centers provided care for more than 30 million patients, 90 percent of whom had incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
“Health centers are cornerstones of their communities, providing essential preventive and primary care for more than 30 million patients who face significant barriers,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
The CHQR badge program recognizes outstanding performance in a variety of clinical areas, including behavioral health, maternal health, diabetes health, heart health, cancer screening, and HIV prevention and care, as well as overall quality performance. A full list of badges and awardees is available here.
