Manchester Community Health Center in Top 5% Nationally

MCHC spends $600,000 per year on interpretation services for its diverse patient population. From left: Melissa Dorman, nurse; Bishnu Basnet, patient; Chuda Niroula, medical interpreter.

 Manchester Community Health Center Lands in Top 5% Nationally
Recognized for Serving Diverse Population

 MANCHESTER, NH – Manchester Community Health Center (MCHC) recently received the highest total financial award granted to health centers in NH, placing it in the top 5% of awards granted nationally by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The awards were based on health centers’ improvements to the quality, accessibility and cost-efficiency of their healthcare, as well as for advancing health equity.

 President/CEO Kris McCracken said, “We are proud of our achievements in all of HRSA’s quality categories, and to my mind most importantly for advancing health equity. Manchester Community Health Center received the second highest award in the nation in the health equity category.”

 MCHC’s patient population mirrors the diversity of Manchester, with 45 percent best served in a language other than English. McCracken added, “The equity awards were granted to health centers whose patients received diabetes, hypertension and prenatal care that met or exceeded Healthy People 2020 goals regardless of race and ethnicity. We couldn’t be more proud of the amazing work of the providers and staff of MCHC for all of their excellent work provided to our patients, and we are very grateful to the Endowment for Health and their support of our efforts to build a Center of Excellence for Culturally Effective Care.”

 The Center of Excellence for Culturally Effective Care has been funded by the Endowment for Health, and assesses MCHC policies and procedures through an equity lens. MCHC’s Health Equity Coordinator Selma Tarahija says, “This requires developing a set of skills that will help us provide high-quality culturally effective care.” Melina Hill Walker, Program Director at the Endowment for Health, said, “MCHC is a strategic partner for our foundation because the health center provides services in such a diverse community. One of our top priorities is achieving health equity for racial, ethnic, and language minorities, and MCHC is positioned well to do that. We see MCHC as a model for the state of New Hampshire.”

 HRSA awarded $100 million nationally to 1,304 of the nation’s 1,400 FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Centers). Eleven health centers in NH received a total of $950,000, including MCHC’s award of $214,000. MCHC and other health centers will use these funds to invest in quality improvement, building upon their achievements in providing high-quality comprehensive care.

 Manchester Community Health Center (MCHC) is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) federally qualified health center offering high-quality, comprehensive, and family-oriented primary health care and support services since 1993. Founded in 1980, Child Health Services (CHS) at MCHC is the pediatric practice of Manchester Community Health Center, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of at-risk children. Through all its programs, MCHC serves over 16,000 active patients at four locations in Manchester, including the West Side Neighborhood Health Center. For more information go to www.mchc-nh.org.

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