Community health centers make up the largest primary care network in the U.S. health care system, serving 1 out of 7 Americans—and in rural areas, 1 out of 3. Dr. Kyu Rhee, President and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers, says that their patient base has tripled over the past 20 to 25 years, and he expects it to triple again over the next 20.
Why is this little discussed, underfunded resource so widespread? Rhee applies the terms “affordable, comprehensive, and effective” to it, and says “we are naturally innovative and naturally resilient.”
Furthermore, people in the community trust their health center, and Rhee says there is a “trust crisis” in the health system.
Governments, tech firms, and other health care institutions should therefore partner with community health centers in order to regain the trust of the American people.
One source of trust and effectiveness is that community health centers are required to devote a majority of their boards to patients from the community. They know what their patients need. Rhee mentions that the first community health centers, 60 years ago, opened food co-ops to fill patients’ nutritional gaps.
They are team based, often including behavioral therapists, social workers, dentist, optometrists, and more on their staffs.
Rhee warns of the harms included in H.R. 1 (popularly known as One Big Beautiful Bill), including the loss of 1,000 centers and 7.3 billion dollars from the system. But he also says that there is bipartisan support for community health centers in Congress, and he is talking to key people in the Administration. He has been meeting with NIH as well.
Watch the video for details about the reach of community health centers, the role of the National Association of Community Health Centers, and Rhee’s hopes for technology to meet clinicians’ needs.
Learn more about National Association of Community Health Centers: https://www.nachc.org/
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