NACHC to Award Grants for CMS Advanced Primary Care Practice Demonstration

This week the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) announced that it will award a total of $1.3 million a year for three years in grants to Primary Care Association (PCA) clusters to support the 500 Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites in achieving the goals of the CMS Demonstration.  These grants are part of NACHC's role as the National Coordination Lead for the CMS Advanced Primary Care Practice Demonstration (APCP).

The three year Advanced Primary Care Practice Demonstration (APCP), operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in partnership with the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), will evaluate the effect of the advanced primary care practice model, commonly referred to as the patient centered medical home, in improving care, promoting health, and reducing the cost of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries served by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).  

The 500 FQHC sites participating in the Demonstration have committed to achieve NCQA Level 3 patient centered medical home recognition and complete NCQA practice self-assessments twice a year.  

CMS has contracted with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to help FQHCs make investments in patient care and infrastructure.  AIR has subcontracted with a “Consortium” of national organizations, including the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Patient Centered Medical Home Institute (PCMHI), Qualis Health, and the MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation, to provide technical assistance, resources and coaching support to health centers through state/regional based primary care associations.

If you have questions or need additional information, please email  Dr. David Stevens at davidstevens@nachc.com.