Quality Center

NACHC’s Quality Center advances health outcomes, patient and staff experiences, health equity, and lowers costs by working with health centers, Primary Care Associations (PCAs), Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs) and partners to transform care and build healthier, higher quality, health center communities.

On this page

What we do

• Drive national dialogue on value transformation and innovation
• Engage diverse stakeholders to inform models, measurement, and collective vision
• Synthesize and share evidence-based practices for health care quality
• Lead programs that pilot and scale strategies to reach the Quintuple Aim
• Research the impact of improvement strategies in community health centers
• Train and coach community health centers in systems transformation
• Serve as a trusted partner to health centers, PCAs, HCCNs, and patients

Value Transformation Framework

The Value Transformation Framework (VTF), developed by NACHC’s Quality Center, is a conceptual model to guide systems change for improved outcomes, patient and staff experiences, equity, and lower costs (the Quintuple Aim). It translates research and promising practices into manageable, practical steps. The Framework identifies 15 change areas across three domains: Infrastructure, Care Delivery, and People.

Elevate

Elevate is a national learning forum. It helps health centers apply NACHC’s Value Transformation Framework to reach the Quintuple Aim (better outcomes, patient experiences, staff experiences equity and costs). Opportunities to leverage health center and state/regional efforts to accelerate transformation results and impact are explored.

Leading Change: Transforming At-Home Care

NACHC’s Quality Center created this cutting-edge pilot project to provide health centers with patient self-care tools. When tools like blood pressure monitors and A1C tests are placed in the hands of patients, it truly advances the impact of virtual care.

Re-Imagine Care

NACHC’s Quality Center synthesizes and shares promising practices for pandemic response, business recovery, and re-imagining care beyond the pandemic. We offer insight into successful virtual and in-person care strategies.

Healthy Together

Healthy Together is an innovative lifestyle change program, launched by NACHC’s Quality Center. This HRSA funded pilot aims to improve the impact of diabetes prevention and control with better use of technology and at-home patient care tools. At-home screening tools, combined with formal lifestyle coaching (with tailored training from CDC’s approved curriculum), yield positive results.

Promising Practices

• COVID: NACHC’s Quality Center collected best/promising practices developed or adapted during the pandemic – presented in an easy-to-understand report.
• Cancer: Read how three health centers participated in the Quality Center’s pilot Cancer Screening Transformation Project funded by the CDC.
• Diabetes: The Quality Center is committed to helping health centers manage and prevent diabetes. You can learn about three innovative diabetes-related projects here.

QI Professional Development

The Quality Center supports the professional development of all Quality Improvement (QI) staff, with specific programs for QI coaches at PCAs and HCCNs across the country. This portfolio includes:

• an online self-assessment and learning tool to map to resources and skill gaps;
• scholarships for online courses in health care quality and leadership;
• topic-focused webinars;
• peer-to-peer mentorship and activities.

QI Advisory Board

NACHC’s QI Advisory Board helps guide the Quality Center’s strategic priorities and provide input from the field. Members represent a geographically diverse cross-section of health centers, primary care associations, and health center-controlled networks. See our board members and learn more here.