Many individuals get their main care by way of standard medical doctors’ workplaces. However these settings could not work for everybody. In a few of these instances, Federally Certified Well being Facilities (FQHCs) could also be an possibility, making it doable to beat many conventional limitations to care.
In 1965, the U.S. authorities established FQHCs, often known as Neighborhood Well being Facilities, to develop well being care entry in America. That makes 2025 the sixtieth anniversary of this establishment.
At this time, there are about 1,400 FQHCs within the U.S. offering important providers in our communities. Right here within the Philadelphia Space there are about 20 of them.
In my position as a Inhabitants Well being Specialist at Independence Blue Cross (IBX), I get to work with quite a lot of FQHCs. Right here’s why I feel they’re so necessary, and the way my workforce collaborates with them to shut gaps in care.
FQHCs Make Care Accessible No matter Earnings
FQHCs present take care of low-income people or those that lack medical insurance. This makes well being care accessible for somebody who in any other case could not be capable of afford it.
FQHCs additionally serve those that do have medical insurance. FQHCs typically use a sliding charge scale to ensure care is inside attain for all sufferers.
FQHCs Present Care in Medically Underserved Areas
Many neighborhoods don’t have sufficient common main care workplaces, so there could also be lengthy wait instances to get an appointment. Some areas have no common main care workplaces, which may make getting care even tougher. So, many individuals merely don’t search care once they want it.
FQHCs are sometimes positioned in these neighborhoods on objective to fill a vital want and improve entry to care.
FQHCs Ship Full-Service Care in One Place
When folks need to go to a special place to see every of their medical doctors (main care, eye physician, dentist, and so on.) it may be overwhelming. It might probably additionally make it too exhausting to remain on prime of the care they want. Particularly if they’re additionally caring for younger kids or different family members, that’s much more appointments they should schedule.
Plus, not everybody can get day off from work, or time away from their households, to go to separate appointments for various kinds of care. Transportation will also be a barrier.
Usually, FQHCs present a mess of well being care providers beneath one roof. An ideal instance is Delaware Valley Neighborhood Well being (DVCH), which presents on-site grownup and pediatric main care, OB-GYN providers, behavioral well being care, optometry, podiatry, dental care, HIV care, hepatitis C care, and extra. That makes it doable for sufferers to deal with a number of well being wants in a single place, all on the identical day. It may be an actual game-changer.
DVCH additionally presents wraparound care coordination and social providers, authorized recommendation, and well being training. They’ll even help with medical insurance enrollment. They actually go above and past what some common workplaces present and meet wants that in any other case typically go unfulfilled.
