HHS Awards Nearly $90M to Help Community Centers Improve Health Data Access

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded nearly $90 million in American Rescue Plan funding to help almost 1,400 community health centers improve health equity.

The health centers will use the funding to improve data collection and reporting. The funding will also support efforts aimed at improving how organizations identify and respond to specific patient needs.

Other efforts covered by the funding include COVID-19 response, mitigation and recovery; data quality improvements; and future health emergency preparedness.

The funding was distributed by the Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS said.

Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the HHS and a 2021 Wash100 winner, said the funding will ensure that patients have equitable access to high-quality health care. He also noted that community health centers have been essential in helping the U.S. with its COVID-19 response.

Carole Johnson, the administrator of HRSA, said the funding will give facilities the tools they need to continue serving their communities.

The funding round builds on the $7.6 billion invested from the American Rescue Plan. ARP is being used to improve the health care workforce, renovate health facilities and equip sites with COVID-19 medical supplies.

The Biden-Harris administration has focused on equitable pandemic response and recovery in light of COVID-19. In January 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to improve health care access and quality for all Americans.