UCI Health Family Health Center recognized again for quality and access to care

Centers in Santa Ana and Anaheim in top 20% of all federally qualified health centers in nation

Orange, Calif. — For the seventh year, the federally qualitied health center UCI Health Family Health Center in Santa Ana and Anaheim, has been recognized by U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for consistently achieving high marks in clinical quality and patient care.

For the third year in a row, the UCI Health Family Health Center has earned silver tier recognition from HRSA for consistently achieving high marks in 18 clinical quality measures. The recognition places the UCI Family Health Center in the top 20% of federally qualified health centers in the nation. The Family Heath Center is just one of the 160 out of 1,512 health centers throughout the country that have achieved silver tier recognition.

And for the fifth year, HRSA also recognized the health centers for improving access to care with advances in health information technology for patients, including using an electronic health record system, offering telehealth services, remote patient monitoring, and exchanging health information electronically with other providers and collecting patient data on health-related needs.

“The UCI Health Family Health Center provides high-quality comprehensive primary healthcare to more than 28,000 underserved community members regardless of their ability to pay,” said Leanne Funada, interim executive director of the UCI Health Family Health Center. “This recognition highlights our role to help reduce healthcare disparities and improve access for underserved communities.”

For more than 40 years, the UCI Health Family Health Center ― Anaheim and UCI Health Family Health Center ― Santa Ana, have provided essential healthcare services, including the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and arthritis, as well as care for women and children.

The UCI Health Family Health Center ― Santa Ana has an 1,100-square-foot teaching kitchen, where group cooking sessions are taught for patients. The kitchen also hosts nutritional education programs for the community.

Both locations also host diabetes group medical visits, which provide comprehensive diabetes care in the group setting. The group visits are part of a wider initiative at UC Irvine to combat diabetes in the Latino/a community, where nearly 40% of the adult population has been diagnosed. Latinos are also more likely to have prediabetes and are developing type 2 diabetes at younger ages.

The program features an eight-week curriculum that addresses aspects of diabetes management, from insulin resistance to lifestyle factors. Each session includes hands-on activities, food and beverage demonstrations, and contributions from guest speakers on topics such as nutrition and mental health.