High-tech innovation can happen in the unlikeliest places. Take, for instance, Laurel Fork, Virginia, where the Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), visited Tri-Area Community Health Center to unveil a $100 million telehealth initiative. Commissioner Brendan Carr said the Connected Care Pilot Program will support telehealth for low-income Americans across the country, including those living …
Category: Health Center News
Health Center Leader Recognized for Efforts after California Wildfire
Every once in a while we like to shine a light on a health center leader who demonstrates resilience when confronted with a challenge. One such person is Gabriela Bernal-Leroi, Chief Operating Officer for Santa Rosa Community Health (SRCH). In the fall of 2017, a massive wildfire ravaged Northern California, forcing 90,000 people from their …
House Leaders Shift Focus to Health Centers and Primary Care
Shasta Community Health Center CEO Dean Germano shakes hands with U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (TX) before the start of the Health Subcommittee Hearing. As a deadline looms, House legislators have turned their attention towards an extension of critical funding for Community Health Centers, the National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Center program. Recently the …
Thoughts on National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week (April 7-13th) has us ruminating about the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges and bring about positive change in the lives of others. It could be said that Community Health Centers sprang into existence thanks to the spirit and energy of dedicated volunteers and activists. More than 50 years ago …
National Rural Health Day & The Providers
With National Rural Health Day upon us, it is fitting that we talk about the providers in rural areas who work hard to deliver care in communities where there is a higher incidence of chronic disease. Nearly half — 44 percent — of Community Health Centers are located in rural areas. In many cases, these …
The 2019 NACHC Policy and Issues Forum Kicks Off Today
We’re just a few hours into the 2019 NACHC Policy and Issues Forum (P&I) and already there’s been a frenzy of activity. Thousands of health center advocates have arrived and there’s a heightened buzz of excitement about making a fresh case to Capitol Hill lawmakers about the value of Community Health Centers. To get the …
Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On this special day of remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we find ourselves also thinking about how Community Health Centers came into existence as part of a “ripple effect” from the Civil Rights Movement. A group of civil rights activists descended upon rural Mississippi to register voters as part Freedom Summer. What they …
NACHC Launches Mental Health First Aid Programs with Americares
NACHC recently partnered with Americares to increase access to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for health center employees across the country. The MHFA initiative could not come at a more critical time for health centers. Patient visits for behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use disorders, have grown by 83% since 2010. …
Our Round Up of the Year 2018: Resilience
It has been a year of trials and tribulations for Community Health Centers but our theme for the year is “Resilience.” Health centers have more than five decades of experience confronting setbacks and threats and emerging stronger than ever. The pattern remains unbroken in 2018. A brief funding cliff ushered in the New Year before …
Same Day Billing Policies Affect Health Centers and Patients
Community Health Centers have a long-standing and proud tradition of providing patient-centered care. That means a patient’s individual needs and health outcomes drive clinical decisions. A key feature of how many health centers accomplish that task is through the integration of primary care and behavioral health. Health check-ups in the exam room focus on both …