WASHINGTON – Eighty-five community health center programs, located in 15 of the 17 Beacon Communities nationwide, were awarded $8.5 million on Monday to aid with the adoption of health IT to support long-term improvements in quality of care, health outcomes and cost efficiencies.

The awards, made available through Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Affordable Care Act, were announced by HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield and National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari, MD.

The awards are intended to enable existing health centers located in Beacon Communities to participate in community-wide healthcare improvement initiatives that include a strong information technology component.

Award recipients include health centers in cities across the country, from Cincinnati, Ohio and Detroit, Mich., to Spokane, Wash., and San Diego, Calif.

“Beacon Communities are about empowering doctors, nurses, patients and community leaders to come together and use technology to make tangible differences in the lives of everyday Americans,” said Wakefield. “The health information technology they use is a vital tool in reaching and treating the vulnerable populations we serve, and the partnerships strengthened through these awards will strengthen health centers’ efforts to deliver comprehensive, high-quality primary healthcare.”

“These communities have already demonstrated their commitment to cutting edge health information technology,” added Mostashari. “Today’s awards are an important step in giving these communities the resources they need to implement home-grown programs that work for them and that can be sustained for years to come.”

 Health center Beacon award recipients by organization and state is available on the next page.