Community health centers, also referred to as community clinics or Federally Qualified Health Centers, are community-driven, non-profit clinics that are either situated in medically underserved areas or provide healthcare to underserved populations.

Regardless of income level or insurance status, the mission of community health centers is to offer accessible, all-inclusive primary care to everyone.

For more specific information, keep reading.

What Is A Community Health Center? 

Community health centers are patient-centered, community-based businesses that cater to groups of people with poor access to medical care. Since 1967, Family Health Care has been proud to hold the distinction of being a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). As an FQHC, our organization is subject to the strictest federal regulations. Knowing that we can uphold those standards while continuing to provide top-notch, thorough, and cost-effective healthcare to residents across Michigan fills FHC with pride.

The Purpose Of Health Centers

There are many things that a health center is and many things that it is not. Keeping track of every detail can be challenging.

The key idea is that community health centers operate with patients’ needs in mind. They try to meet the particular needs of each patient and assist them in overcoming barriers to receiving high-quality medical care. Most importantly, they increase healthcare’s accessibility, affordability, and quality.

The most underserved communities in America can access comprehensive primary health care at an affordable price through health centers, which are patient- and consumer-driven organizations. No matter their financial situation or insurance coverage, health centers accept everyone. They broaden access to healthcare and offer integrated care services based on the particular requirements of the communities they serve. The value that health centers provide to the American healthcare system and its impact are enormous. Here are some statistics illustrating their impact.

Services Generally Include

• Basic primary medical care,
• Care taken in advance, such as, prenatal and perinatal care, immunizations, pediatric screenings, family planning services;
• treatment of severe chronic conditions, such as, diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS;
• Free or low-cost prescriptions;
• A patient can access primary care more easily with the help of additional support services, such as, case management, translation and interpreter services, health education.
• Availability of a doctor on call in the event of a medical emergency after clinic hours, when the clinic is closed.

Dental care, mental health services, diagnostic lab services, and radiology services are also widely available at health centers.

History Development

In the middle of the 1960s, as a result of the Johnson administration’s War on Poverty and the civil rights movement, the first community health centers, originally known as neighborhood health centers, were established. Health centers in Boston and Mound Bayou, Mississippi were the first two locations to receive federal demonstration grant funds, respectively, in 1965 and 1967. Providing free or inexpensive medical care to communities that would otherwise have little or no access to it was the goal of the initiative, which supported local communities in doing so. Direct federal funding was given to localities to guarantee that services were responsive to local needs and tailored to them.

Currently, 28 million people across the United States are served by more than 1,400 community health centers. For community health center services, Medicaid is the main source of funding. Additional funding options include Title X, Ryan White, and 330 grants from the federal Community Health Center Program, as well as funds from the local county and Ryan White.

In order to prepare for full healthcare reform in 2014, including the adoption of new Electronic Health Records (EHRs), improved service coordination, and payment reform, health centers have access to additional funding through the Affordable Care Act. The amount of patients seen by community health centers in the United States by the year 2020 is projected to double to more than 40 million people.

Health Center Program Fundamentals

• Located in or serve a high need community (designated (Area or Population Medically Underserved). Find MUAs and MUPs
• Governed by a community board composed of a majority (51% or more) of health center patients who represent the population served. More about health center governance
• Provide comprehensive primary health care services as well as supportive services (education, translation and transportation, etc.) that promote access to health care.
• Provide services available to all with fees adjusted based on ability to pay.
• Meet other performance and accountability requirements regarding administrative, clinical, and financial operations.

Community Health Centers Have Been

• Serving communities and individuals for more than 50 years.
• Providing core health care services to more than 30 million patients per year.
• Forming a safety network for people who might otherwise not have access to medical, dental, behavioral health, and other services.
• Providing access for multiple health care services by offering a sliding fee discount to help adjust health care costs based on income.
• Lowering patient hospital admission rates, and creating shorter stays, and less expensive admissions.
• Reducing infant mortality rates in the communities they serve.
• Assisting in the prevention of health emergencies such as H1N1.O
• Operating more than 1,250 health centers in all 50 states and all U.S. territories.
• One Stop shopping concept for health care, providing access to medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and other services essential to primary care services. See more about What Is A Home Health Agency?

A Community Health Center Is Not

A Free Clinic

Free clinics and health centers are very different from one another. The two are very different from one another. Government healthcare programs, insurance payments, and federal and other grants all contribute to the financial support of health centers. Private investments and donations help to pay for free clinics. In contrast to free clinics, which are typically staffed by volunteers offering high-quality care, health centers employ staff members with high hiring standards and experience. A board that has at least 51% members who are community patients is strictly in charge of running health centers. Boards of free clinics can vary and may not always be predominately comprised of patients from the neighborhood.

A Regular Doctor’s Office

Primary care providers, also known as general physicians, are physicians or nurse practitioners who offer routine, general healthcare services. Regular checkups, the detection and testing of emerging diseases, and the treatment of illnesses like colds and stomach viruses are among them.

Many of the tasks that a health center carries out can be done by a general physician. It does not, however, use a patient-centered strategy and does not have a majority of community patients on its board of directors. The needs of patients are also not as well met. The majority of the time, it does not offer transportation services, a dental unit, or a health care discount based on federal poverty guidelines.

A Hospital

Emergency care, surgery, imaging and scanning using x-rays and MRIs, as well as other specialized care, are all things that hospitals offer. Patients may go to a hospital to receive advanced care that cannot be provided in a regular doctor’s office or to seek emergency assistance. They might get further testing done to determine a health issue, seek consultation from a specialist,

Hospitals typically offer reactive care rather than preventative care, in contrast to health clinics. They might offer ambulance transportation, but the ambulance is much more expensive.

A Specialist Doctor’s Office

Specialist doctors typically don’t serve as the first line of defense against health issues, unlike general practitioners. Following your visit with a general practitioner, that doctor might suggest that you see a specialist to go deeper and get their professional advice. For instance, if you have skin problems, a dermatologist may be recommended to treat you.

While health centers have both doctors and dentists on staff, they typically do not have specialist doctors. In this situation, health centers will recommend you to reputable specialists who can treat patients with their insurance coverage—or lack thereof. Podiatric medicine may be offered in some health centers. In this instance, they will offer the care inside their home.

Conclusion

High-quality, culturally sensitive healthcare is offered by community health centers. At your community health center, the care is given by a sympathetic staff. They aid in enhancing both your physical and mental well-being.

Primary care includes sick visits, the identification and ongoing management of chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma, as well as cancer screenings. These services are in addition to routine checkups. The likelihood of future, more serious health problems can be significantly decreased with preventative care, such as screenings and tests. Even better, preventative measures are typically less expensive. A trip to the doctor and a prescription are more affordable than an operation or trip to the emergency room.

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