• Access to Care

The North Carolina Healthcare Foundation Hospital-Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Collaboration Initiative

Supported through The Leon Levine Foundation, this initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) by aligning their complementary roles in primary, preventive, specialty, and emergency services. Building on successful partnerships already operating in North Carolina, NCHF is engaging strong existing hospital–FQHC partnerships to expand access to care through deepened coordination, enhanced data sharing, exploration of sustainable funding and reimbursement models, and identifying core elements that drive improved outcomes and cost savings. By studying and supporting these sites through a structured collaborative, the initiative seeks to create a replicable model that enhances care coordination, addresses non-medical drivers of health, improves quality and access for underserved communities, and ultimately strengthens the healthcare safety net statewide. 

Additional information about this initiative can be found on the one pager.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of NCHF Hospital-FQHC Collaboration?

Fragmented healthcare systems are ubiquitous and often lead to:

  • Gaps in care coordination between community providers and hospitals
  • Limited access to timely primary and specialty care
  • Avoidable emergency department visits and hospital readmissions
  • Persistent health disparities among underserved populations.

This project supports select FQHC–hospital partnerships across the state to strengthen and further advance their collaboration. Learning from this program will be shared statewide to inform and scale success.

The project will support creation of more seamless care networks by:

  • Enhancing and strengthening the existing partnerships between FQHCs and hospitals in North Carolina
  • Enhancing care coordination and referral pathways
  • Supporting data sharing and interoperability
  • Aligning care delivery with value-based and population health models
  • Prioritizing underserved and high-need populations.
How will the collaboration work?

In its early stages, the program will focus on five (5) targeted partnerships between hospitals and FQHCs most positioned for impact. Through their implementation assistance framework, the NCHF will support participating healthcare organizations in strengthening and evolving sustainable, patient-centered partnership models across the care continuum. These hospital-FQHC dyads will be invited to participate in a Learning and Action Network (LAN), giving them access to:

  • Statewide and national expertsin successful hospital-FQHC partnerships.
  • Knowledge of best practices to enhance data sharing (interoperability) processes between systems and providers
  • A resource library and virtual networking platform to support shared learning
  • Virtual and in-person convenings that support collaborative learning and problem-solving
  • Training on care models that are community-informed, culturally responsive, and support scalable coordination of care delivery
  • Individualized quality improvement support from the NCHF team and external subject matter experts, as needs are identified.

In the third and fourth years of the program, participation will open to include any FQHC-hospital pairs in the state eager to implement best practices in a Learning Community, building on insights from the initial five LAN dyads. Partners will collaborate on self-selected projects designed to streamline care delivery, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce costs.

NCHF will collaborate with a research partner throughout the program to design and execute a robust evaluation framework, ensuring all implemented practices are measured for effectiveness and impact.

How will the 5 targeted partnerships be identified?

Hospital-FQHC dyads will be invited to participate in a joint application process. Applications will be reviewed using defined criteria that assess the strength and readiness of each partnership. The five dyads selected for the initial cohort will be those determined to be best positioned to benefit from targeted support and generate learning that can be shared statewide. 

Dyads that apply but are not selected for the initial cohort will remain important partners in the initiative and will be invited to participate in key educational offerings throughout the LAN and then a broader Learning Community at a later stage, where they can fully access shared learning, resources, and best practices emerging from the initial cohort. 

What are the expected outcomes?
  • Improved patient outcomes and experience
  • Reduced emergency department utilization and readmissions
  • Strengthened community-based care capacity
  • Enhanced health equity across populations
  • Identification of effective, sustainable best practices which can be spread across North Carolina.
Who benefits from this initiative?
  • Patients and families, especially in underserved communities
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
  • Hospitals and health systems
  • Payers and public health agencies
Who should I contact to learn more?

Shelby Lassiter, RN, BSN, CPHQ

Director, Patient Safety & Quality

North Carolina Healthcare Foundation

919-677-4134

slassiter@ncha.org

FQHC Collaboration Initiative Informational Session

The North Carolina Healthcare Foundation invites member hospitals and collaborating federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to participate in the recently launched hospital – FQHC Collaboration Initiative. To learn more about the initiative, join a virtual information session on August 12 or August 20 at 12 p.m.

Staff Contacts