A look into the impact of FQHCs on underserved populations
On August 8th, 2024, we hosted a live webcast featuring President & CEO of Community Health Centers, Dr. Debra Andree, and UnitedHealthcare Community & State's Dr. Arethusa Kirk. The conversation centered around insights into the importance of FQHCs and the FQHC week theme of “powering communities through caring connections”.
FQHCs first came about as a method to fight the effects of poverty under the Federal Office of Economic Opportunity. These health centers empowered local communities to direct health services to improve the lives of residents.
The number of patients served has grown from around 500,000 in 1975 to 29 million across 1,400 community health centers in 2021. The nation’s health centers now serve nearly 1 in 10 people, making FQHCs the largest primary care network.
In this webcast, the role of managed care organizations and misconceptions about what services FQHCs provide and who they serve were discussed. Dr. Andree and Dr. Kirk additionally talked about how they work to build trust within their local communities.
The full video can be viewed below.
