Petaluma Health Center awarded $100,000 in federal grants

The Petaluma Health Center has been awarded nearly $100,000 in federal grants for its leadership in meeting local and national health care quality standards.

The Petaluma clinic was the only health center in the state to be recognized in all four categories of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ 2015 Quality Improvement Awards.

The clinic received $15,000 for electronic health records reporting; $13,260 for clinical quality improvement; $35,760 for being a local leader in health care quality; and $35,760 for being a national health care quality leader.

“We’re thrilled that we’re the only health center in California that received all four quality improvement awards,” said Pedro Toledo, Petaluma Health Center’s acting CEO.

Toledo said he was most proud of the national quality leadership award, which recognizes the country’s highest performers compared to national standards and benchmarks in key clinical areas.

Sonoma Valley Community Health Center also received the national quality award. The two Sonoma County clinics were among only 10 health centers in the state and ?57 across the country to be recognized as national quality leaders.

The Department of Health & Human Services awarded a total of ?$36.3 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 1,113 health centers across the country. In California, 118 clinics received a total of more than $5 million in grants.

It is the first time the federal health agency has awarded such funds under the five-year old health care law. The funds are to be used to further improve quality standards and patient health care outcomes.

“It’s a healthy competitive spirit that will hopefully lead to improvement in the quality of health for more people in the country,” Toledo said.

Aside from the Petaluma and Sonoma Valley clinics, a number of other Sonoma County health centers received awards in various individual categories. The recipients include Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg; Santa Rosa Community Health Centers; and West County Health Centers.