Our Credentials

Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Deemed Status Badge

Wood River Health is the recipient of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Deemed Status Badge. This badge is available to health centers that are currently FTCA deemed/received deeming by HRSA under the Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Act (FSHCAA). The Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Acts of 1992 and 1995 (FSHCAA) provides that certain persons, referred to as covered individuals (i.e., governing board members, officers, employees, and certain individual contractors) of FTCA covered entities (e.g., health centers that receive section 330 funds and have been approved for coverage or “deemed” as employees of the Public Health Service (PHS) by the Secretary) be treated as PHS employees for purposes of medical malpractice liability coverage. Covered activities are acts or omissions in the performance of medical, surgical, dental, or related functions resulting in personal injury, including death, and occurring within the scope of employment (including within the approved scope of project). This means that a covered entity or individual is immune and will not be financially liable for any claims arising from covered activities. Congress’ intent was to increase the availability of funds to health centers to provide primary health care services by reducing or eliminating health centers’ malpractice insurance premiums.

Federally Qualified Health Center

Wood River Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). This means we are a health care provider that provides primary care services to underserved communities of people.

Our two locations in Hope Valley and Westerly serve the communities of Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton, Westerly, Exeter and West Greenwich, and southeastern Connecticut.

FQHC's receive funds from the HRSA Health Center Program to provide primary care services in underserved areas. As an FQHC, Wood River Health must adhere to a stringent set of requirements including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on the ability to pay and operating under a governing board that includes at least 51% patient-members.

Patient-Centered Medical Home

Wood River Health is designated as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, managed behavioral healthcare organizations, preferred provider organizations, new health plans, physician organizations, credentials verification organizations, disease management programs and other health-related programs. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and manages the evolution of HEDIS^®, the performance measurement tool used by more than 90 percent of the nation’s health plans. NCQA is governed by a Board of Directors that includes employers, consumers, health plans, quality experts, policy makers and representatives from organized medicine. NCQA’s website contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. Consumers can easily access organizations’ NCQA statuses and other information on health care quality on NCQA’s website at www.ncqa.org, or by calling NCQA Customer Support at (888) 275-7585.NCQA’s mission is to improve the quality of health care.

A Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams.

Research shows PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction—while reducing health care costs. Practices that earn recognition have made a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care.

To learn more about waht it means to be a PCMH, watch this video.

Health Center Quality Leader

Wood River Health is recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Health Center Quality Leader, which is awarded to only 1-2% of community health care centers in the United States. This credential means that Wood River Health has been designated as a model for excellence in the health care delivery and a leader in the promotion of community well-being.

NQL badges are awarded to health center awardees and look-alikes that meet or exceed national benchmarks for one or more of the clinical quality measure (CQMs) groups that promote behavioral health, heart health, diabetes health, HIV prevention and care, and maternal and child health.

To be eligible for a National Quality Leader badge, health centers must report a minimum number of patients in a clinical quality measure’s (CQM) denominator. They must report at least 70 patients in each CQM denominator and meet/exceed the benchmark threshold for all CQMs in a given National Quality Leader category. The only exceptions are the HIV linkage to care CQM for the HIV Prevention and Care badge and the low birthweight CQM for the Maternal and Child Health badge, both of which require a minimum of 30 patients in the CQM denominator.

Addressing Social Risk Factors

By receiving the Addressing Social Risk Factors badge, Wood River Health is recognized as a health center that are screens for social risk factors impacting patient health and are increasing access to enabling services. Health centers must meet the following two criteria:

Collect data on patient social risk factors
Increase the proportion of patients receiving enabling services between consecutive UDS reporting years

Health Disparities Reducer

The Health Disparities Reducer badge recognizes health centers that qualify for the Access Enhancer badge and meet at least one of the following two criteria:

Demonstrate at least a 10 percentage point improvement in low birth weight, hypertension control, and/or uncontrolled diabetes CQMs during consecutive UDS reporting years (2020 and 2021 UDS) for at least one racial/ethnic group, while maintaining or improving the health center’s overall CQM performance from the previous reporting year; and/or
Meet the following benchmarks for all racial/ethnic groups served within the most recent UDS reporting year.

Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality

This badge recognizes health centers that meet all criteria to optimize Health Information Technology services. Eligibility is calculated using 2021 UDS data and qualified health centers must meet the following five criteria:

Adopted an electronic health record (EHR) system
Offers telehealth services
Exchanges clinical information electronically with key providers in health care settings
Engages patients through health IT
Collects data on patient social risk factors

Access Enhancer

The Access Enhancer badge recognizes health centers that have increased the total number of patients and the number of patients who receive at least one comprehensive service (mental health, substance abuse, vision, dental, and/or enabling) by at least 5% during consecutive UDS reporting periods (2020 and 2021 UDS).

To be eligible, a health center must achieve at least one HCQL or NQL badge, or demonstrate at least a 15 percentage point improvement in one or more CQMs between consecutive reporting periods

American Heart Association Target: Type Two Diabetes

Wood River Health has been recognized by the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Silver Award for its commitment to addressing the relationship between diabetes and the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure for people living with Type 2 diabetes. However, a recent survey, by The Harris Poll, of people ages 45 and older with Type 2 diabetes found only half recognize their risk or have discussed their risk for heart attacks or strokes with their health care providers.

Wood River Health has been recognized by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association for its commitment to improving blood pressure (BP) control rates, earning silver-level recognition as part of the Target: BP™ initiative. The Silver award recognizes practices that have demonstrated a commitment to improving blood pressure control through measurement accuracy.

Target: BP is a national collaboration between the American Heart Association and American Medical Association aimed at reducing the number of adults in the U.S. who suffer from heart attacks and strokes each year by urging physician practices, health systems and patients to prioritize BP control. The initiative aims to help health care organizations improve blood pressure control rates using evidence-based protocols and recognizes Wood River Health’s commitment to improving hypertension control.

Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™

American Heart Association Cholesterol Silver Seal

Wood River Health received the 2022 Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ Award for its ongoing commitment to lowering cholesterol and improving care management within your patient population. This award demonstrates Wood River Health's commitment to reducing the number of Americans at risk for cardiovascular disease.