Cherokee Health Systems Receives National Recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- Cherokee Health Systems is a recipient of four Community Health Center Quality Recognition (CHCQR) awards distributed this week by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The CHQR awards recognize health centers that have made quality improvement achievements in the areas of access, quality, health equity, and health information technology during the 2020 Uniform Data System reporting period. Additionally, COVID-19 awards were recently introduced to recognize health centers’ contributions to the public health emergency response in the areas of data collection, testing, and vaccinations.

“Recently we were presented with several Community Health Center Quality Recognition awards by HRSA in acknowledgment of the high quality of care we provide to our patients. I am grateful our hard-working clinical care teams have received this well-deserved recognition. They earn it every day with their concern for, and commitment to, those we serve,” said Dr. Dennis Freeman, Cherokee’s Chief Executive Officer.

Cherokee is honored to accept the silver Health Center Quality Leader award, Advancing Health Information Technology for Quality award, Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition award and the COVID-19 Data Reporter award. According to HRSA, recipients of the Health Center Quality Leader award have achieved the best overall clinical quality measure performance among all health centers. The Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality award recognizes health centers that meet all criteria to optimize HIT services that advance telehealth, patient engagement, interoperability, and collection of social determinants of health to increase access to care and advance quality of care. The Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition (PCMH) award recognizes health centers with PCMH recognition in one or more delivery sites.

The new COVID-19 Data Reporter award recognizes health centers that supported data for public health emergencies with response rates of 90 percent or more to the weekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey from April 10, 2020, to July 2, 2021. Protecting our communities against COVID-19 is an institutional priority. Cherokee is part of a nationwide effort to save lives through COVID-19 vaccinations, already vaccinating more than 11,000 Tennesseans. We are giving out COVID-19 vaccines daily at all our clinics. You can call 1-866-231-4477 to get your vaccine today.

As the largest health center in the state, Cherokee serves 75,000 people each year across 23 clinics. Our services are made available to people of all ages on an ability to pay basis. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about our services, please visit www.cherokeehealth.com

                                                                                                                                                                               ###

About Cherokee Health Systems Since 1960, CHS has been committed to ensuring Tennesseans get access to effective, high-quality care. CHS is a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves 75,000 people annually. We offer a wide array of comprehensive health services, including primary care, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy. All of our services are available to children, adults, and seniors on an ability to pay basis. CHS is a TennCare (Medicaid) and Medicare provider. In addition, CHS accepts commercial insurance for payment.