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 …
Category: Health Center News
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 …
Health Center Staff Join Forces to Tackle Active Shooter/Active Killer Scenarios
Active shooter situations often start and end quickly – generally about 10 to 15 minutes elapse between the start of an event and when law enforcement arrives. For this reason, mental and physical preparation are key. Earlier this month, NACHC partnered with Black Hawk Emergency Management Group, LLC, an organization specializing in disaster prevention and …
Celebrating Healthy Meals During Thanksgiving
With the Thanksgiving holiday nearly upon us, cooking healthy meals is on our minds. That brought us to Mary’s Center, a health center in Washington, D.C. Mary’s Center is no ordinary health center. The site we visited in the neighborhood of Fort Totten (one of 8 locations) opened just two years ago and operates a …
#GivingTuesday
Giving Tuesday is a day devoted to philanthropy and giving back, fueled by social media and collaboration among organizations. The day, set aside on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27 this year), is becoming a global movement and also a useful tool for Community Health Centers. #GivingTuesday, an organization devoted to helping groups and individuals …
California Health Centers and Wildfires
NACHC is monitoring reports about the fires that have devastated communities across northern and southern California, particularly the Camp Fire in Butte County and the Hill and Woolsey fires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The Camp Fire has killed 42 people and more than 200 residents remain missing. The blaze, the most destructive and …
Tropical Cyclone Devastates Northern Mariana Islands
NACHC is closely tracking developments in the aftermath of a massive typhoon that struck Saipan and Guam this week. The category 5 typhoon, known as “Yutu,” has moved away from the region near the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but left in its wake obliterated homes, downed power lines and flooding. It is …
Report Highlights Health Center Role in Emergency Response
Health centers have become adept at responding to natural disasters and other trauma events since their response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the last year alone, health centers have been at the forefront providing primary care services in the wake of multiple hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. In a new report, Medical Surge and the …