North Carolina Partnership for Connected Care (NC-PFCC)

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 
• Avoidable cost for patients and healthcare systems

This project supports select FQHC–hospital partnerships across the state to strengthen and further advance their collaboration to strengthen the safety net for vulnerable populations. 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 
• Spreading evidence-informed best practices and strategies to build and strengthen FQHC-hospital partnerships across the state 

The NC-PFCC began a year of learning in 2026 (Phase 1), working with partners to examine the hospital-FQHC partnership landscape, both nationally and in North Carolina. Using this learning, subsequent phases are in development. 

In 2027 (Phase 2), the program will focus on five (5) targeted partnerships (dyads) 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 experts in 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 problem-solving  
• Training on care models that are community-informed, culturally responsive, and support scalable coordination of care delivery   
• Individualized and group quality improvement support from the NCHF team and external subject matter experts, as needs are identified.

In Phases 3 and 4 of the program, 2028-2029, participation will open to include all FQHCs and hospitals 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, the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, to design and execute a robust evaluation framework for the program, ensuring implemented practices are measured for effectiveness and impact. 

Hospital-FQHC dyads will be invited to participate in a joint application process which opens on 8/24/26 and closes on 9/25/26. 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. Criteria for application scoring and selection can be found here. When reviewing applications and selecting participants, the review team will also consider: 

• Geographic Diversity: Representation from both rural and urban communities across the state.
• Collaborative Models: Innovative “many-to-one” structures, such as an FQHC partnering with multiple hospitals (or vice versa).

Together, these diverse factors foster a rich learning environment suitable for developing a scalable model to advance the state. 

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 beginning in 2028, where they can fully access shared learning, resources, and best practices emerging from the LAN.  

• Improved patient outcomes  
• Reduced total care costs  
• Reduced need for preventable healthcare utilization  
• Expanded access to comprehensive care in the community  
• Enhanced health equity across populations  
• Effective, sustainable partnership practices across North Carolina  
• Increased awareness of mutually beneficial partnership financial models  
• Improved patient and provider satisfaction with care  
• Improved care coordination and transitions 
• Identification of effective, sustainable best practices which can be spread across North Carolina.  

• Patients and families, especially in underserved communities
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
• Hospitals and health systems
• Payers and public health agencies

Applications are welcome from partnerships at any stage, whether newly emerging or formally established with a track record of success. Formal partnership contracts are not a requirement. The most critical driver of LAN participation is a unified commitment to collaborate on goals that guarantee consistent access to safe, high-quality, and affordable health care. Therefore, there must be an existing relationship between partners and a strong commitment at the leadership level to collaboratively identify and execute shared goals. 

Yes, such partnerships would add value to the LAN, so please apply in collaboration with all partners. 

Yes. Up to $87,500 per year for two years (2027 and 2028) will be available to the five (5) FQHC sites, disbursed at the beginning of each implementation year. Funding is intended to support staffing positions such as care coordinator, referral manager, community health worker, RN manager, licensed clinical social worker, etc. If staffing mix is deemed adequate, these funds may be used to support other needed resources in alignment with shared goals of the hospital-FQHC dyad and the NC-PFCC program.   

Because the FQHC holds 501(c)(3) status, grant funds will be distributed directly to them. However, these funds must be used to support shared partnership goals. Both the FQHC and hospital partner are expected to develop the budget together, and a joint budget plan is required as part of the application. 

Of important note, sustainability will be a central focus of our LAN efforts. Recognizing that securing long-term resources is essential, the NCHF Team will collaborate with LAN dyads to build a strong business case for sustaining grant-funded staff and/or resources beyond 2028. By leveraging partnership data and guidance from the NCHF Return on Investment Advisory Team, LAN dyads will be equipped with the insights and evidence needed to sustain their impact well after the program concludes. 

Contact:

Shelby Lassiter, RN, BSN, CPHQ

Director, Patient Safety & Quality

North Carolina Healthcare Foundation

919-677-4134

slassiter@ncha.org