Partnership with ECRI Key Factor in Compliance with FTCA Requirements for FQHCs and Free Clinics

Need

All healthcare organizations should have strong risk management, quality, and patient safety programs, but for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Free Clinics, it is a mandate. This requirement is tied to financial support through the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Program, making it absolutely critical.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary federal agency for improving health care to people who are uninsured, geographically isolated, and/or economically or medically vulnerable. Through the FTCA Program, FQHCs and Free Clinics are provided with medical malpractice insurance, so that they don’t have to pay for commercial insurance. This program enables the FQHCs and Free Clinics to preserve financial resources for patient care. They’re in medically underserved areas, so they are a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and other extremely vulnerable groups. Federally Qualified Health Centers are where nearly 30 million people receive their healthcare. In fact, 1 in 10 babies born in the U.S. are born to a FQHC patient.

Solution

A decade ago, ECRI stepped into the role of trusted advisor and educator, providing the FQHCs and Free Clinics with risk management support, guidance, and information.

Through a contract with HRSA, ECRI provides education, self-assessments, actionable guidance, and individual consultation to FQHCs and Free Clinics, giving them the tools and support they need to deliver better patient care and stay FTCA-compliant. To date, ECRI supports over 18,000 users from 1,654 organizations with resources such as: on-line courses and other education, self-assessments, tool kits and sample policies, online guidance articles, info graphics and reference materials, as well as consultations with ECRI experts. Resources also include webinars and the annual HRSA conference with ECRI speakers, and high-profile guest speakers from health centers.

ECRI adapts quickly to create engaging new tools that bring to life HRSA’s priorities and new challenges in the healthcare. In addition, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, ECRI ramped up its response, providing critical information for this unprecedented emergency.

Result

ECRI’s partnership with the HRSA is a key factor in compliance with FTCA requirements, allowing FQHCs and Free Clinics to preserve critical funding for patient care.

Through surveys, ECRI found that many users reported significant benefits from the HRSA partnership. An overwhelming 90% of respondents said they used ECRI resources to make improvements, 80% felt better prepared for risk management challenges, and 71% felt better prepared to implement or support quality-improvement initiatives. More than half of respondents felt more empowered to make needed changes and felt the resources helped them to provide better patient care, and 81% were extremely likely or very likely to recommend ECRI. This quote from a member sums up ECRI’s value. “ECRI is the first place I look when searching for a guide, policy, or resource for implementing change. It’s also the first place I recommend when a colleague asks a question.”