Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Health Center Data Warehouses: Opportunities And Challenges For Quality Improvement, A. Seiji Hayashi, Emily Jones, David M. Stevens, Peter Shin, Brad Finnegan, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

This Policy Research Brief reports on a pilot effort to leverage the growing presence of health center data warehouses to advance health care quality improvement through data sharing and exchange. This project builds on a partnership between the Michigan Primary Care Association and The George Washington University's Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative that centers on developing approaches to using existing health center data for quality improvement.

Community Health Centers In Indiana: State Investments And Returns, Avi Dor, Patrick Richard, Ellen Tan, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Peter Shin, Lee Repasch

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Indiana Community Health Centers (I-CHC), including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and State Funded Health Centers (SFHCs), play a vital role in caring for the state's most vulnerable populations. Although their patient base tends to be poorer and experience greater health challenges than the general population, these health centers have generated substantial health care savings while providing high quality, low cost care. In this brief, key findings are presented from a recent study, conducted for the Indiana State Department of Health by GWU faculty and staff that was designed to estimate the cost savings and benefits generated by the state's …

Estimating The Effects Of Health Reform On Health Centers' Capacity To Expand To New Medically Underserved Communities And Populations, Leighton C. Ku, Peter Shin, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

Nearly 100 million persons reside in urban and rural communities that can be considered medically underserved as a result of inadequate supply of primary care physicians and elevated health risks. A report by the National Association of Community Health Centers and the Robert Graham Center estimated that 60 million people are "medically disenfranchised" and lack access to adequate primary health care because of where they live, even though many have health insurance. This brief assesses the potential effects of national health reform on health centers and on the number of patients they can serve. Because improving primary care access is …

Examining The Experiences Of Puerto Rico's Community Health Centers Under The Government Health Insurance Plan, A. Seiji Hayashi, Brad Finnegan, Peter Shin, Emily Jones, Sara J. Rosenbaum

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative

This research brief examines the experiences of Puerto Rico's community health centers under the Commonwealth’s 1994 Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP) – the Commonwealth's Medicaid program – also known as the Reforma. Of particular interest are the effects of Medicaid under-financing coupled with health centers' continuing obligations to furnish subsidized care for uninsured patients. To finance GHIP, the Commonwealth substantially curtailed its involvement with the direct provision of health care in both community and inpatient settings, transforming the former system of direct care provision into health insurance premium subsidies.

In 2007, the 47 operating sites of Puerto Rico's 19 federally …