A CHC, or community health center, is a health center that is community-based and patient-directed. CHC's provide primary care and other practices while serving populations with limited access to health care. These include low income populations, the uninsured, and those with limited English proficiency and those who are under-insured. CHC's are also known as FQHCs or federally-qualified health centers.

FQHCs are required to meet strict financial and administrative accountability as provided by the Health Resources &Services Administration (HRSA). This includes providing care on a sliding fee scale based on a patient's ability to pay as well as operating under a governing board that includes patients. This requirement sets Health Centers apart from most health care operations by making sure the patients voices are heard, and that they are the majority vote.

In our specific case, Five Rivers Health Centers is a local, non-profit organization with our own board of directors. Community members who are patients of Five Rivers make up 51% of our board and provide guidance and governance on how we operate and serve patients. As with all community health centers, Five Rivers Health Centers turns no one away regardless of their ability to pay.

The nation's first community health center opened in 1965and now there are more than 1,400 organizations. Community Health Centers served roughly 30 million patients last year. There are health centers in every state, U.S. territory, and the District of Columbia.

So now that we've talked about what qualifies as a Community Health Center, let's talk about how they help. Community Health Centers have increased access to crucial primary care by reducing barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, distance, and language. CHC's have understood that where we live, work, and play affects our overall health. These are known as the social determinants of health, or conditions in which people are born, grow, live, play, work, and age. These conditions are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources. By mission, and law, CHC's offer other services including transportation, translation services, housing assistance, food assistance and other social services. Health Centers are pivotal to the communities they serve. Community Health Centers empower the people they serve to become involved in their community by solving issues unique to them and their neighbors and by doing this, CHC's reach beyond the walls of traditional healthcare system.

Studies have shown that health centers deliver as good, or even better, services than what patients may experience at a private practice. However, the diverse array of services found in one location is moreaffordable. For more than 50 years, CHC's have provided documented resultsi ncluding up to 40% reductions in infant mortality rate, reduced health disparities among patients with chronic diseases, fewer ER visits andhospital admissions, shorter hospital stays, and fewer unmet needs of theuninsured.

In our specific case, Five Rivers Health Centers is a local , non-profit organization with our own board of directors. Community members whoare patients of Five Rivers make up 51% of our board and provide guidance andgovernance on how we operate and serve patients. As with all community health centers, Five Rivers Health Centers turns no one away regardless of their ability to pay.

Our staff of 300+ care deeply about helping our neighbors meet their health and wellness goals. Our mission is to provide access to high quality care and to improve the community's overall health.

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