Community Health Centers
- Community health centers (CHCs) are patient-governed, non-profit, primary care centers serving rural or urban populations and offering services on a sliding fee schedule. They may offer dental, pharmacy, and behavioral health services as well.
- In North Carolina, there are over 80 community health centers,¹ 27 of which are Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), operating 76 sites.²
- Non-FQHC, rural clinics and "free clinics" also deliver essential community services.³
- Federal funding for CHCs doubled in the last 10 years. Recent health reform legislation drives continued expansion and creates a need for additional administrators.²,4
1. Wade TL, Radford AD. North Carolina State Government and the Healthcare Safety Net: Building the Nation's Most Extensive Network of Rural Health Centers. NC Med J. 2005. 66(2) 125-6.
2. Money B. North Carolina's Safety Net in the New World of Health Reform. NC Med J. 2010. 71(3) 246-9.
3. Fleming O, Mills J. Free Clinics in North Carolina: A Network of Compassion, Volunteerism, and Quality for Those without Healthcare Options. NC Med J. 2005. 66(2) 127-9.
4. Adashi EY, Gieger HJ, Fine MD. Health Care Reform and Primary Care – The growing importance of the Community Health Center. NEJM. 2010; 362:1952-1955.
