The theme for this years National Health Center Week of
August 9-15 is “Community Health Centers: Lighting the Way for Healthier
Communities Today and in the Future.” The reason for having an annual
celebration for community health centers is to raise awareness about their
mission and accomplishments. The goals are special for this year, too. They include
celebrating and honoring the front-line providers, the staff and the patients
who lost their lives in our current COVID-19 pandemic.
During this
COVID-19 pandemic, many community health centers have been providing telehealth
services to their patients, in addition to their in-office services. Telehealth
can be made available for not only regular medical needs, but also urgent care
and behavioral health services.
In case you’re not familiar with what a community health
center is, let me give you some background. Five decades long is the timeline
for the existence of community health centers. Community health centers are in
high-need communities serving populations with limited access to health care.
Many are recognized as an FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center); FQHCs are
held to the highest standards of regulations under the federal government. Some
are called FQHC Look-Alikes which means they don’t receive grant funding but
may receive many of the same benefits. Many community health centers have also
achieved PCMH (patient-centered medical home) recognition.
Community health centers provide a safety net for people
who might not otherwise have access to these services. Many have a sliding
scale fee based on income and household size. Some provide supportive services
such as transportation, education and translation services. Community health
centers are committed to
providing a range of affordable family health services. Many are a kind of
“one-stop shopping” with a multidisciplinary health care team and may also provide
women’s health services, child and adolescent health, behavioral health, dental
health, laboratory services, radiology, and have pharmacies on-site. All are
caring for the underserved in their communities by providing health care to
those who need it.
Each day of
the week for August 2020 has a special focus:
- Sunday, 8/9: Public Health in Housing Day
- Monday,
8/10: Healthcare for the Homeless Day
- Tuesday,
8/11: Agricultural Worker Health Day
- Wednesday,
8/12: Patient Appreciation Day
- Thursday,
8/13: Stakeholder Appreciation Day
- Friday,
8/14: Health Center Staff Appreciation Day
- Saturday,
8/15: Children’s Health Day
As we
continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, remember how our community health
centers provide high-quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care to the
communities they serve.
