CHAMPS’ mission, in part, is to provide a variety of services to potential and existing Health Center Program Awardees (“health centers”) in Region VIII (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY).

In order to better understand health centers, please click or scroll down for:
Health Center Introduction
Finding a Health Center in Region VIII
Understanding Health Center Program Awardees
Health Center Program Requirements & Performance Measures
Other Online Resources
Health Center Terms & Acronyms

HEALTH CENTER INTRODUCTION

The health centers within the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Health Center Program (awardees and look-alikes, see below) provide high-quality, affordable, and accessible primary health care to primarily indigent, medically underserved, and underinsured populations in a wide range of communities, from inner cities to rural frontiers. As of 2023, there are nearly 1,500 organizations operating approximately 15,500 health center sites in the United States and serving almost 32.5 million people. These include community health centers, school-based health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless centers, public housing primary care centers, and look-alikes. Collectively these organizations have historically been known as “Community Health Centers” (or “CHCs”). Common Health Center Program terms include:

  • Health Center Program Awardee: organization that receives grants under the Health Center Program as authorized under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended; also sometimes referred to as “federally-funded health center” or “HRSA-funded health center” (1,370 nationwide as of 2022)
  • Health Center Program Look-Alike (previously known as FQHC Look-Alike): health center that has been certified as meeting all Health Center Program requirements, but that does not receive funding under the Health Center Program (117 nationwide as of 2022)
  • Federally-Qualified Health Center (FQHC): term defined in Medicare and Medicaid statues to identify an organization/entity approved to be reimbursed under Medicare and Medicaid using specific methodologies; individual sites (not organizations) for enrolled/approved Health Center Program grantees, FQHC Look-Alikes, and outpatient health clinics associated with tribal or Urban Indian Health Organizations are considered separate FQHCs

View the CHAMPS Starting Your Journey: A Guide to Health Centers flyer for an introduction to health centers, a historical overview of the Health Center Movement, and details about supporting organizations. This printable flyer is ideal for new health center staff and board members, job seekers, and anyone else interested in community health.

Explore the HRSA Health Center Program History webpage and the Health Center Program: Partnering with Communities to Build a Healthier Nation report. For more about how health centers increase advance equity, address emerging public health needs, and drive quality improvement, view the HRSA Health Center Program: Impact and Growth webpage.

To explore a dynamic, multi-media website dedicated to the living history of the Community Health Center movement, please link to CHroniCles.

To access a compendium of health center data and infographics on topics such as expanding access to care, reducing health disparities, and the health center workforce, please link to NACHC’s Community Health Center Chartbook

For additional information about the Health Center Program, please link to the National Association of Community Health Center’s (NACHC’s) History of Community Health Centers video, visit their What is a Community Health Center? webpage, watch their What is a Health Center? and Clinical Excellence and Community Health Centers videos, and watch “I am a Community Health Center Patient.”

FINDING A HEALTH CENTER IN REGION VIII

Follow the links below to locate Community, Migrant, Homeless, and Public Housing Health Centers throughout Region VIII and the nation.

Please note: the links listed above may include information for health service sites that are not Health Center Program grantees.

UNDERSTANDING HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM AWARDEES

Health Center Program awardees (“health centers”) receive Public Health Service (PHS) Act Section 330 funds and serve medically underserved areas (MUAs), or serve a medically underserved population (MUP), or meet the statutory requirements for receiving federal health center program funds.

For more information about MUAs and MUPs, link to the CHAMPS Understanding HPSAs and MUAs page.

Health Center Advantages:

  • Health centers receiving Section 330 federal funds are automatically eligible for certification as Medicaid and Medicare FQHCs, receiving cost-based reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare patients. (Health centers not receiving federal funding must complete an application through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Primary Health Care to obtain this certification.)
  • Health Center Program Awardee status may offer health centers certain other benefits, such as access to federally-funded and supported technical assistance, higher rates of payment under Medicaid managed care, and eligibility for the PHS Drug Pricing Program.
  • Visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Federally Qualified Health Center Fact Sheet for more details.

Health Center Data:

The federal government compiles statistics from all health center awardees and FQHC Look-Alikes on an annual basis. This information, called the Uniform Data System (UDS), tracks a variety of information, including patient demographics, services provided, staffing, clinical indicators, utilization rates, costs, and revenues. UDS data are collected from awardees and reported at the awardee, state, and national levels.

For more UDS details, please link to the Bureau of Primary Care (BPHC) Health Center Data page.

For summarized Region VIII Health Center Program Grantee UDS information relating to selected users, staffing, encounter types, business plan performance measures, and clinical outcomes and disparities, please link to the CHAMPS Publications page.

HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & PERFORMANCE MEASURES

All Health Center Program awardees are required to:

  • Be located in a medically underserved area or serve a medically underserved population
  • Provide comprehensive primary care (directly and/or by contract)
  • Serve all patients regardless of age or income, within a defined service area
  • Have a sliding-fee schedule based on the patient’s ability to pay
  • Be a public or not-for-profit organization
  • Have a community-based board of directors; to be federally funded, a majority of the board members must use the health center and must represent the community served in terms of demographic factors such as race, ethnicity, sex, age, and socioeconomic status
  • Comply with program expectations for a federally funded health center

To receive federal funding a community health center must meet the program requirements of the U.S. Public Health Service. These requirements describe aspects of organizational structure and processes that are associated with successful health center programs. Every health center should have a sound infrastructure able to respond to the needs of its community within the constraints of its resources, and should develop processes and procedures designated to ensure the provision of high quality health services supported by strong management and governance.

A health center’s Scope of Project defines the activities that are supported by Health Center Program budget. Specifically, scope of project defines the approved service sites, services, providers, service area(s) and target population(s). A health center’s scope of project may evolve over time and may expand through new grant awards or approval of a Change in Scope request.

Program Requirements:

There are 18 key Health Center Program requirements with four areas:

1. Need
Needs Assessment
Health centers are required to assess the health needs of the population to be served and the resources available in the community to meet those needs. Health centers are required to work closely with other safety net providers in defining and revising an appropriate role for the health center in addressing community health care needs. Factors used to determine need are geographic, demographic, and economic.

2. Services
Required & Additional Services, Clinical Staffing, Accessible Locations and Hours of Operation, Coverage for Medical Emergencies During and After Hours, Continuity of Care and Hospital Admitting, Sliding Fee Discount Program, Quality Improvement/Assurance
Health centers are required by law to operate a system of care that contributes to the desired outcomes of availability, accessibility, quality, comprehensiveness, and coordination. Centers must ensure that basic primary care services, coordinated with other levels of care, and support services appropriate to the community’s defined health care needs are available and accessible. Centers must also have qualified providers and a clinical management system that ensures quality and continuity of care.

3. Management and Finance
Key Management Staff, Contracts and Subawards, Conflict of Interest, Collaborative Relationships, Financial Management and Accounting Systems, Billing and Collections, Budget, Program Monitoring and Data Reporting Systems
To operate efficiently and effectively, the center must have appropriate management. The long-term mission and goals of the organization should guide center management. Management of a health center is a team process with well-defined lines of authority and responsibility. Adequate infrastructure must be in place including finance, management information systems, and communications.

4. Governance
Board Authority, Board Composition
A board of directors must govern community health centers, which has full authority and responsibility to establish program policies. The board of directors should govern within the context of a long-term strategic mission and goals, as well as an annual operating plan. A majority of the board members must represent users of the center’s services. A set of by-laws governing the organization should be maintained by the center. The by-laws should describe the structure and functions of the Board, and meet the requirements of federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Performance Measures

As a component of the required data that Health Center Program grantees report each year (Uniform Data System – UDS, see Health Center Data, above), each grantee must emphasize health outcomes and demonstrate the value of care delivered by reporting on specific Clinical and Financial Performance Measures within the following areas:

1. Quality of Care
Prenatal Care, Immunizations, Cervical Cancer Screening, Weight Assessment/Counseling for Children and Adolescents, Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up, Tobacco Use Screening and Intervention, Asthma Medication, Coronary Artery Disease Therapy, Ischemic Vascular Disease Antithrombotics, Colorectal Cancer Screening, Depression Screening and Follow-Up, HIV Linkage to Care, Dental Sealants

2. Health Outcomes/Disparities
Uncontrolled Diabetes, Controlling High Blood Pressure, Low Birth Weight

3. Financial Viability/Costs
Total Accrued Cost per Patient

For more information about Program Requirements, Performance Measures, and additional Health Center Program details, visit the following BPHC webpages:

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH)
Video explaining the nature of care at Community Health Centers, including statistics about health centers in Utah
What is a Community Health Center?

CHroniCles
Video about the history and enduring value of community health centers, including commentary by two Region VIII health center leaders
Changing Care, Changing Lives: The Community Health Center Story

Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN)
Video explaining the nature of care at Community Health Centers, including statistics about health center services in Colorado; available in English and Spanish
What is a Community Health Center?
Que es un Centro de Salud Comunitario?
Documentary featuring Dr. Licona’s contributions to the Community Health Center movement from the early 1970s to the present day in Colorado
Through the Eye of a Visionary: Dr. Virgilio Licona

Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN)/Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS)
2020 webinar on the deep and rich social justice history of the Community Health Center Movement; this webinar offers a historical perspective for the Community Health Center Movement nationally and in Region VIII as well as ideas for how health centers can continue to play a role in pursuing racial justice and health equity
Handouts

Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS)
Video about working at a health center, as expressed by health center providers and staff
Working at Health Centers in Region VIII

Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS)/Northwest Regional Primary Care Association (NRWPCA)
Recording of a 2020 CHAMPS/NWRPCA Annual Conference presentation addressing the BPHC Health Center Program
CHC 101: Introduction to the Community Health Center Movement

Community Health Center, Inc.
A book by Charles Barber that chronicles the journey towards building the Community Health Center, Inc. in Middletown Connecticut, including an expansive exploration of healthcare in America, the impact of community-based efforts, and the value of patient involvement
Peace & Health

Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD)
Video explaining the nature of care at Community Health Centers, including statistics about health centers in the Dakotas
What is a Community Health Center?

Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Part of the Rural Health Fact Sheet Series, this resource contains official CMS information for Medicare fee-for-service providers
Federally Qualified Health Center Fact Sheet

Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Foundation Research Collaborative
This report highlights the value of Community Health Centers (CHCs) and why continued support for federally funded CHCs is crucial
The Value Proposition: Evidence of the Health and Economic Contributions of Community Health Centers | GW Health Policy & Management Matters

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
HRSA’s handout is designed to explain to prospective patients what health centers are and what they do, describing the services health centers offer and providing a link to the Find a Health Center tool.
Health Centers: A Guide for Patients (English)
Health Centers: A Guide for Patients (Spanish)
HRSA YouTube channel, with videos on primary health care, health IT, organ donation, HIV/AIDS, the National Health Service Corps and other topics related to access to health care.
HRSAtube
HRSA video celebrating what makes each health center truly great – YOU!
Heart of a Health Center
HRSA’s tool for assessing compliance with Health Center Program requirements during Operational Site Visits (OSVs); the SVP is designed to provide HRSA with the information necessary to perform oversight responsibilities using a standard and transparent methodology that aligns with the Compliance Manual
Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol (SVP)

Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Resources that examine the role of community health centers (CHCs) as a key component of the US health care system
CHC Fact Sheet

Issue brief on the role of CHCs in the health system

Mountain Family Health Centers
Letter from Mountain Family CEO Ross Brooks on the history and importance of the Community Health Center Movement
Reflections on a Sabbatical and the International Community Health Center Movement

Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA)
Page of information explaining the characteristics of and nature of care at a Community Health Center
What is a Community Health Center?

National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
Document describing the value of health centers and the safety network they provide
Community Health Centers: A Guide to A Vital Network of Care
Page with access to various growth and development resources and training opportunities, including a Health Center Program 101 eLearning Course (CHC101)
Health Center Growth & Development
Summaries of articles related to community health centers’ access to and quality of care, cost-effectiveness, and health care disparities
Research and Data on CHCs
List of state level resources providing state fact sheets, health center site maps, economic impact state infographics, and key health center data by state
State Level Data & Maps

National Conference of State Legislatures
Ten-minute video including legislators, state health officials, and a primary care association representative talking about the role of community health centers in their state
Community Health Centers: A Guide for State Policymakers

National Health Care for the Homeless Council
This report illuminates the National Health Care for the Homeless Program and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council through the testimonies of its long-term workers, or pioneers, as well as other source materials to reconstruct the history of the Health Care for the Homeless movement
Health Care for the Homeless: A Vision of Health for All

Out in the Rural
A 23-minute video focusing on the Tuft’s-Delta community health center, one of the first community health centers in the nation, founded with the aim of using the clinic as a lever for social change; features Dr. Jack Geiger, at that time Project Director for the health center and considered a founder for the health center movement nationwide
Out in the Rural
A book by Thomas J. Ward, Jr., also exploring the origins of the community health center movement through the story of the Tufts-Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, Mississippi
Out in the Rural: a Mississippi Health Center and Its War on Poverty

RCHN Community Health Foundation
Book that celebrates and documents the exceptional vision and value of health centers in urban and rural communities across the country
Chronicling the Community Health Center Story

Rural Health Resources (RHIhub)
Website of health center resources including Frequently Asked Questions
Federally Qualified Health Centers

Wyoming Primary Care Association (WYPCA)
Page of information about the Community Health Centers in Wyoming
About the Health Centers