Quality & Compliance

For Hudson Headwaters, quality means delivering excellent care and an exceptional patient experience. Our goal is to exceed the highest national standards for care and service.

Quality

The National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA)’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) seal of approval means that a medical practice consistently excels in clinical activities, access to providers, patient satisfaction and communication. The PCMH model is an approach to delivering high-quality, cost-effective primary care. All eligible Hudson Headwaters health center locations have achieved New York State PCMH recognition, which must be updated annually to meet ever-evolving standards for quality.

Continuous Improvement

To improve quality of care and services, Hudson Headwaters seeks input from a variety of sources, including information we collect as part of patient care, feedback from our patient advisory groups and listening to what patients say about their visits through easy, online surveys. In addition, staff is surveyed annually regarding their workplace experience. Survey results are carefully reviewed by the human resources department supervisors and then shared with the Board of Directors and staff.

Our focus on quality improvement has led us to create new ways of delivering care, add services and increase outreach to our patients. Some of these include: increased communication with our patients, extended hours, online scheduling, digital check-in, care management, palliative care services and use of the Patient Portal.

Accountability

As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Hudson Headwaters’ operations and finances are carefully reviewed and regulated by the federal government (HRSA) and are under the close scrutiny of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).

As an FQHC and HRSA grantee, Hudson Headwaters is a “deemed” entity under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA)—deemed covered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on the FTCA and community health centers, click here.

Additionally, new health center developments, renovations, expansions and the addition and deletion of services must be reviewed and approvals obtained by NYSDOH prior to execution.

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Hudson Headwaters is a member of the National Health Services Corps and serves all patients.

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Compliance and Privacy

Hudson Headwaters Health Network (the Network) strives to maintain a reputation for conducting all fiscal and operational activities in accordance with the highest level of business and community ethics. As a health care provider, the Network is committed to operating under the highest ethical and moral standards and ensures that the Network, in all of its activities, complies with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines.

Please see our Ethics & Compliance Plan and our Code of Conduct.

As a covered entity, the Network adheres to the Privacy and Security Standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Posted at all Network locations are Hudson Headwaters’ Patient Rights, Responsibilities and Privacy Practices, which details the Network’s commitment to privacy and HIPAA standards.

Patient Concerns

If you have questions or concerns about the quality of care, policies, privacy, billing or other areas of Hudson Headwaters’ operations, we urge you to contact our Risk Management & Compliance department via:

Risk Management & Compliance
Hudson Headwaters Health Network
9 Carey Road
Queensbury, NY 12804
Phone: 518-409-8642
Email: [email protected]

Please include your name, telephone number and a detailed message about your concern. A member of our team will return your message within three (3) business days.

Vendor Compliance

Those who contract with Hudson Headwaters must follow a set of legal, ethical and operational standards to ensure adherence to state and federal regulations. See below for relevant documents.

If you have questions or concerns about our Vendor Compliance Guide or Code of Conduct, please email [email protected].

New vendors or community partners looking to establish a relationship with Hudson Headwaters should email [email protected].