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Implementing Standards of Excellence at Wisconsin Free & Charitable Clinics

Implementing Standards of Excellence at Wisconsin Free and Charitable Clinics (FCC)

Full Project Name:Implementation & Assessment of Standards of Excellence in Wisconsin's Free and Charitable ClinicsPrimary Community Organization:Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable ClinicsPrimary Academic Partner:Staci Young, PhD, Family and Community MedicineAward Amount:$399,278
Award Date
July2017
Project Duration:36 months

Project Description Narrative:


The limited resources of Wisconsin's free and charitable clinics (FCCs) often means they are unable to engage in regular capacity building efforts beyond the immediate needs of caring for uninsured, underserved, and vulnerable populations. For smaller FCCs, it is challenging to dedicate time to grant writing, or developing new, standardized organizational processes that are efficient and effective. Project partners are working to transform the Wisconsin Free and Charitable Clinics (FCC) infrastructure by fostering a solid, sustainable nonprofit-FCC model (Standards of Excellence) implementation and establishing a culture of data-collection to promote positive health outcomes and high-quality care at FCCs. The WAFCC Standards of Excellence aim to be a strategic, dynamic tool offering measurable guidance specific to the FCC environment, practices and health services to help meet the challenges of health care delivery.

Community partners: Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ), AmeriCares, WISHIN, The Center for Urban Population Health (CUPH)/Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, UW-Whitewater, Concordia University, St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, Governance4Good, Muslim Community Health Center (MSW), InHealth Community Wellness Clinic, Community Outreach Health Clinic, Community Connections Free Clinic (Dodgeville, WI), Health Care Network, Inc. (Racine, WI), HealthNet of Rock County (Janesville, WI), Lake Area Free Clinic (Oconomowoc, WI), Rock River Free Clinic (Jefferson, WI)

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:


  • Successfully launched the implementation of Standards of Excellence at Wisconsin's free and charitable clinics, documenting the use of standards to improve administrative processes, volunteer management, and services offered at clinics across the state
  • Conducted more than 131 outreach and awareness activities to promote the Standards of Excellence
  • Expanded the Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable Clinic's VISTA program, identifying a VISTA leader and expanding VISTAs to more host sites to support the processes of improving standards at clinics
  • Awarded seals of excellence to clinics across the state: Documenting two awards of gold seals, one silver seal, and two bronze seals
  • Established alignment with National Association of Free Clinics to form a reciprocity agreement allowing any Wisconsin free or charitable clinic with a bronze seal or higher to automatically qualify for a NAFC seal
  • Began partnership with Wisconsin Department of Public Health to use project learnings to launch a Dental Standards program for Wisconsin's free and charitable clinics
  • Leveraged nearly $15,000 in additional funds

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