WHAT IS A CHC?

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER?

A community health center is a non-profit, community-owned health care organization serving low income and medically underserved communities. For nearly 40 years, the national network of health centers (also known as federally qualified health centers) has provided high quality, affordable primary care and preventive services, and often provide on-site dental, pharmaceutical, and mental health and substance abuse services. Community health centers are located in areas where care is needed but scarce, and improve access to care for millions of Americans regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

One very unique aspect of the community health center organization is its governance. Each CHC has a governing body, composed of volunteers from within the target service area. At least 51% of the board must be consumers of CHC services. The board works closely with the medical staff and administration of the health center.

Community health centers remove common barriers to care by serving communities that otherwise confront financial, geographic, language/cultural and other barriers, making them different from most private, office-based practices. CHCs are:

Located in high-need areas identified by the federal and state government as having elevated poverty, higher than average infant mortality, and where fewer providers agree to practice;
Open to all residents, regardless of insurance status, and provide reduced cost care based on ability to pay;
Tailor services to fit the special needs and priorities of local communities, and provide services based on the advice of local residents, businesses, churches, and other organizations; and
Offer services that help patients access health care, such as transportation, translation, case management, health education, and chronic disease management.

Community health center patients are among the nation's most vulnerable populations -- people who even if insured would nonetheless remain isolated from traditional forms of medical care because of where they live, who they are, the language they speak, and their higher levels of complex health care needs. About 40% of health center patients reside in rural areas, while the others tend to live in economically-depressed inner city communities.