About the
Neighborhood Health Care Network
The Neighborhood Health Care
Network is a shared management
services organization supporting 14
community health clinics in Minneapolis
and Saint Paul metropolitan area.
By providing a variety of services on a group
basis, the Network maximizes cost-efficiency
for its members and allows them to focus
more on direct patient care.
The Network provides shared services in
five primary areas:
• Clinical quality and disease management.
The Network provides performance measurement,
program evaluation, an annual
patient satisfaction survey, and leadership
on clinical quality improvement projects.
• Information technology. The Network
hosts and maintains state-of-the-art practice
management software for member
clinics—five of which have moved to
a shared computer network. In 2007,
the Network began planning a shared
Electronic Health Record (EHR) system,
which will be implemented in 2009.
• Managed care and joint contracting.
The Network negotiates and maintains
contracts for its members with public entities,
a major health plan, and vendors.
• Community outreach. The Network
helps uninsured individuals and families
find affordable health care services and
insurance information through its statewide
489-CARE referral line.
• Joint fundraising. The Network raises
funds for collaborative activities and for
member clinics to support general operations
and the growing costs of uncompensated care.
The 14 clinic members of the Network
operate 46 clinic locations in the Twin Cities,
serving more than 145,000 people annually. These clinics primarily serve low-income
people—more than half without any health
insurance—who often get left behind by the traditional health care system. To effectively
serve such a diverse population, member clinics go beyond traditional medical services
to provide transportation, translation, social
services and culturally appropriate health care
and education.
For over 12 years, the Network and its
member clinics have played a critical role in
reducing health disparities and meeting the
evolving needs of increasingly diverse communities
in the Twin Cities.
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