Community health centers play a crucial role in providing clinic healthcare services to individuals and families, particularly those who face barriers to accessing affordable and high-quality healthcare. These centers serve as basic level health care centers and are community-based and patient-directed organizations .
Key Points:
Community health centers have the primary duty of providing basic level health care services .
They are community-based and patient-directed organizations .
Community health centers provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality primary health care services .
They serve individuals and families, including people experiencing homelessness, agricultural workers, residents of public housing, and veterans.
Health centers integrate access to pharmacy, mental health, substance use disorder, and oral health services in areas where economic, geographic, or cultural barriers limit access to affordable health care .
They reduce health disparities by emphasizing coordinated care management of patients with multiple health care needs and the use of key quality improvement practices, including health information technology .
Community health centers assist people of many ages and backgrounds, including children, veterans, people living in rural areas, farmworkers, and people experiencing homelessness .
They provide medical, dental, behavioral, and health services and are open to anyone in need of their services .
A majority of these centers are governed by patients, with at least 51% of the health centers’ boards led by patients .