The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) announces the launch of their membership Quality Standards Program.
The mission of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics is to ensure the medically underserved have access to affordable health care. The NAFC and its members are dedicated to ensuring that patients receive quality health care. To quantify and qualify the care provided at the Free and Charitable Clinic network, the NAFC formalized a set of Quality Standards for member organizations.
“Each year, approximately 2 million patients receive care at 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies throughout the United States,” said Nicole Lamoureux, NAFC President and CEO. “The participation from our members in this program demonstrates their commitment to providing quality care to people in their communities that are medically underserved.”
NAFC Members that wished to participate in the program voluntarily submitted information to the NAFC on the various policies and procedures they have in place to attain their standards rating. Each organization attested/pledged that they successfully incorporate these standards within their organization.
581 NAFC members have earned ratings in this inaugural year of launching the Standards Program. Of that, 68% received a gold rating, 17% received a silver rating, and 15% received a bronze rating.
NAFC Quality Standards elements include policies and procedures related to the following areas: Administrative, Enhanced Access and Continuity of Care, Identifying and Managing Patient Population information, Planning and Managing Care, Providing Self-Care Support and Community Resources, Tracking and Coordinating Care, and Measuring and Improving Performance.
The NAFC thanks the Ohio Charitable Health Care Network who generously allowed the NAFC to adopt the majority of their standards of care handbook. The NAFC also thanks the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the South Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, and the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics for sharing their certification and accreditation documents with the NAFC to assist with the development of this program.
For more information on the NAFC Standards, please visit https://www.nafcclinics.org/content/about-us.
About the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,400 Free and Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies that serve them. The NAFC has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality health care for all. For more information about the NAFC, please visit https://www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at @NAFClinics and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics.