The Dove Creek Medical Clinic recently received a $40,000 grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Awards are given based on high levels of performance in categories such as including improving quality of care, enhancing access to care and advancing health equity.

The Dove Creek clinic will use the funds to enhance health care, said operations director Bill Waschke.

“It’s pretty exciting,” he said Thursday. “We’re glad to get it.”

It’s the second such award the clinic has received, Waschke said. The clinic is a federally qualified health center and provides health care to patients who don’t have insurance or are unable to get care elsewhere, he said.

The funds will be used to pay a portion of the wages for a recently hired social worker, Waschke said. The clinic is focusing on patient-centered medical home activities, and some of the funds will support them, he said.

The clinic is certified as a Level 2 medical facility and is working on a Level 3 certification.

In a press release, acting DHHS Deputy Secretary Dr. Mary Wakefield said millions of Americans rely on health centers such as the Dove Creek Medical Clinic.

“These quality improvement awards will support health centers to continue to deliver superior health care that engages patients, improves care coordination and bridges overall access to care.”