Print 
PDFThe February 12 issue of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Health Care Innovations Exchange (http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov) focuses on community-wide initiatives to enhance access for vulnerable populations.
The featured Innovations describe three community-wide initiatives that seek to increase access to health care for vulnerable populations. The programs include
- A community collaborative that opened a free clinic for uninsured children and implemented targeted interventions for patients with sickle cell anemia and substance abuse issues (click here);
- A community-funded, nonprofit organization that matches eligible uninsured and underinsured patients with providers who agree to serve them at a discounted rate (click here); and
- A school-based, collaborative, community-wide program that provides mental health and other support services to students and their families living in neighborhoods plagued by poverty and crime (click here).
The featured QualityTools include
- A program to help dentists join with others in their community to provide dental services to underserved children [Give Kids a Smile Toolbox];
- A community-funded, nonprofit organization that helps underserved children, adults, and families receive needed medical attention [Maximizing Health Care for Colorado’s Underserved]; and
- A Web site with tools and resources that can help clinicians and community health centers provide quality health care to underserved patients [Migrant Clinicians Network Toolbox and Resources].