The Institute for Family Health Receives $2 million in HRSA Funds to Develop Virtual Care Best Practices

New York, NY (February 15, 2022) The Institute for Family Health was awarded a two-year, $2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to optimize virtual care services, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms, and share best practices with health centers across the country. The Institute was one of 29 HRSA-funded health centers nationwide awarded a total of $55 million in funds designated to increase virtual health care access and quality for underserved populations.

Over the two year period, the Institute will develop and disseminate an optimized virtual care service delivery model tailored to the unique needs of health centers’ patient populations. With a special focus on ensuring equitable access and sustainable reimbursement, the Institute’s dedicated virtual care optimization team will codify clinical best practices and workflows to support a robust virtual care delivery system. The team will then conduct an extensive evaluation to assess the accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of virtual care services, and disseminate best practices widely. The project builds upon extensive and rapid expansion of telehealth services that the Institute began offering at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in high-quality and accessible virtual care for the long-term,” said Dr. Eric Gayle, chief medical officer at the Institute for Family Health. “We are excited to take what we learned during the pandemic to the next level in terms of helping health center patients across the country take full advantage of the promise of virtual care.”

In a statement, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said that the 29 grant awards “will help ensure that new ways to deliver primary care are reaching the communities that need it most. Our funding will help health centers continue to expand their virtual work while maintaining their vital in-person services in communities across the country.”

The Institute for Family Health is one of over 1,400 HRSA-supported health centers. Institute health centers provide primary medical, dental and mental health care to all patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. We accept Medicare, Medicaid and dozens of private insurance plans, and offer a sliding-fee scale for those in need. To schedule a telehealth or in-person appointment, call (844) 434-2778.