National Health Center Week 2012 is now underway, and many health centers are reaching out on social media and to the local press to share the value of their CHCs in powering healthier communities.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the Charlotte Observer had a great piece about the value of the C.W. Williams Community Health Center:
“C.W. Williams Community Health Center has been serving the Charlotte area for more than 30 years. Between its locations on Wilkinson and East Boulevard, the center offers everything from primary care to sports physicals, pediatric services to women’s health and more. It also treats the homeless, and new services are in the works. This federally funded health center in Mecklenburg County is an important link in the local health care chain. By improving access to primary and preventive care for low-income people, the center can keep them from going to expensive emergency rooms and take care of small problems before they become big.”
Reaching out through social media and local editorials
While inviting the press come and profile a health center is great, another valuable tool is being proactive in sharing content with your community. For example, the California Primary Care Association shared photos of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, among others, speaking at a National Health Center Week event at Community Health Partnership’s kickoff breakfast.
Family First Health in York, Pennsylvania quickly posted a short video with State Representative Eugene DePasquale after he visited their health center, interviewing him about what he thinks about the services for patients available at that health center.
Kathy Wood-Dobbins, CEO of the Tennessee Primary Care Association, penned an op-ed for the Tennessean about the value of health centers and the local angle on National Health Center Week:
“Recently, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced five New Access Point grants in Tennessee, which created three new health centers and expanded two others. These new health centers demonstrate an effective model for providing accessible health-care services in high-need communities and providing that care in a cost-effective manner that focuses on making a difference in the health of the entire community.”
Have other great examples of public outreach during National Health Center Week? Let us know!
Boston’s Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center shared with us how their creation of an innovative EMR template helped them close the gaps between referral and execution of preventive screenings. They shared their story on our blog, Progress Notes. We’d love if you’d link to it on your site! Thanks! -Sonya (editor)
http://primarycareprogress.org/blogs/16/163