Community Development
- Information about community health centers.
- Assistance in determining if a FQHC is an appropriate solution to address a community's health care needs.
- Assistance with determining whether development as a satellite of an existing FQHC or independent development is most appropriate.
- Assistance to existing health centers and communities to develop and implement an appropriate strategy for starting up health/site services.
- Technical assistance in every phase of health center development: pre-development with feasibility determination, needs assessment, development with business plan and health care plan development, start up of services, and ongoing TA after site is operational.
What is a FQHC
FQHC is a federal designation from the Bureau of Primary Health Care and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that is assigned to private non-profit or public health care organizations that serve predominantly uninsured or medically underserved populations. FQHCs are located in or serving a federally designated Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA or MUP). All FQHCs must operate under a consumer Board of Directors governance structure, and provide comprehensive primary health, oral and mental health/substance abuse services to persons in all ages of the life cycle. FQHCs provide their services to all persons regardless of ability to pay, and charge for services on a Board approved sliding-fee scale that is based on patients' family income and size. FQHCs must comply with Section 330 program expectations/requirements and all applicable federal and state regulations.
Organizations receiving federal grant funds under the Public Health Service Act, Section 330 grant program; organizations receiving Community, Migrant, Health Care for the Homeless, or Residents of Public Housing grants are considered FQHCs. Because of this, FQHCs are also called Community/Migrant Health Centers (C/MHC), Community Health Centers (CHC) and 330 Funded Clinics.
