National Health Center Week 2017 (NHCW) happened this past week from 8/14-8/18 and highlighted the theme of “Celebrating America’s Health Centers: The Key to Healthier Communities.”
Health centers serve as local community owned and operated businesses nationwide and worldwide — over 25 million Americans utilize more than 9,000 delivery sites in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories.
One in every fifteen people living in the U.S. depends on health center services. Health centers aim to deliver high quality, cost-effective, accessible health care while also helping to power local businesses and economies.
What is Considered a Health Center?
Health centers are community-based, patient-directed organizations. They aim to deliver comprehensive, high-quality, culturally-appropriate primary health care services in areas where economic, geographic, and/or cultural barriers limit an individual’s access to affordable health care services.
Health centers are designed to overcome geographic, cultural, and linguistic barriers in addition to any other challenges presented in order to provide care, delivering coordinated, comprehensive primary and preventive services. Care management of patients with multiple health care needs is a cornerstone of the program, and the use of key quality improvement practices, including health information technology, is another feature.
Most health centers receive Health Center Program federal grant funding to improve the overall health of underserved and at-risk populations.
Health centers often integrate access to the following places:
- Pharmacies
- Mental health centers
- Substance abuse centers
- Oral health services
Think of your health centers as health care homes to millions; these places of refuge are not simply a place that people go for medicine. People come to health centers to get concentrated care in order to get well again.
Health centers have been providing service for over 50 years, and continue to rank among the highest quality and most cost-effective care providers nationally. Health centers provide services to everyone, regardless of their financial situation, race, or religious creed, or even their insurance status.
Each Year We Celebrate
Take a moment to celebrate or at the very least appreciate the work and services that health centers provide populations with serious needs. If you’re feeling extra generous, donate your time, should you have any to spare. If you have any additional questions, contact Bedford Dental Group today.
