NYU Langone Family Health Centers have earned national recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for their achievements in improving the quality of maternal and child health care. The new National Quality Leader Gold Level National Award has been awarded to just 1% of the more than 1,300 HRSA-accredited health centers across the country, and NYU Langone Family Health Centers are one of the 2 of 63 centers in New York State to receive this distinction.
We have created clear and consistent clinical pathways for wellness management and prevention, as well as chronic disease and acute care to drive improvements at all levels. One of the highlights of this process: ensuring that we provide high quality prenatal care has had a positive impact on patients and their children and will ultimately improve the overall health of our community. »
Isaac P. Dapkins, MD, Director of Medical Information, Family Health Centers, NYU Langone
Improving the quality of maternal and child care
The HRSA Award recognizes NYU Langone Family Health Centers for expanding patient access to all services, elevating the standard of care, and for its effective use of data and digital technology, as well as for general clinical care.
The Gold Award for Improving Maternal and Infant Care reflects the collaborative efforts of Dr. Dapkins, Meleen Chuang, MD, Director of Women’s Health, and Paolo R. Pina, MD, MPH, Director of Pediatrics at NYU Langone Family Health Centers. As a result, in 2022, NYU Langone Family Health Centers increased prenatal visits, leading to increased birth weight, and achieved and maintained high levels of childhood immunizations.
“The strong participation in the Family Health Centers of NYU Langone’s Childhood Immunization Program is especially important at a time when vaccine hesitancy is a challenge and when new and old diseases threaten children’s health,” notes the Dr. Dapkins.
“Our clinicians and staff work hard to not only achieve high quality standards, but to continually improve and improve the care we provide,” says Larry K. McReynolds, Executive Director of Family Health Centers. by NYU Langone. “This national maternal and child health honor is especially meaningful because it focuses on a core service that is so vital to the hundreds of young families we serve in and around the Sunset Park area.”
NYU Langone’s Family Health Centers team provides high-quality care to underserved patients in low-income communities that are home to many immigrants, such as Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where most residents are Latino and Chinese with limited English skills. Many also experience the negative effects of other social determinants of health, such as inadequate housing, low-paying jobs and poor digital skills. NYU Langone Family Health Centers are committed to reducing these health disparities and offer a range of programs, including primary care, dental care, rehabilitation medicine, and behavioral health services.
Awards for Commitment to Community Health
Additionally, for the sixth consecutive year, NYU Langone Family Health Centers have earned Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) silver-level badges from HRSA for meeting quality criteria in three related categories. access, advancement of health information technologies for quality and comprehensive services. NYU Langone Family Health Centers scored in the top 10-20% on these established clinical quality measures taken annually.
HRSA, based in Washington, DC, oversees federally qualified health centers nationwide. Its 2022 CHQR badges recognize health centers that have made notable progress in quality improvement in the areas of access, quality, health equity, information technology on the health and response to COVID-19 public health emergencies.
