As readers of this blog know I am very interested in the whole area of healthcare reform and interesting ways of delivering healthcare across the globe.

In the UK I am a strong supporter of the concept of polyclinics So you can imagine I have been following the US concept of Health centers with some interest.

As this week sees National Health Center Week 2014 I thought I would share a recent message from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). An organisation which was founded in 1971 so it is not a new idea.

But I am also really interested in how Community Health Centers work in practice. Have you used one? What was it like? Please feel free to share you thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.

 

“Communities across the USA are gearing up to celebrate National Health Center Week 2014 (NHCW) with over 1,000 events that include health fairs, open houses, and visits by Members of Congress. NHCW is a weeklong celebration (August 10-16) to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers as local solutions for affordable and accessible health care.

One of the bright spots of the nation’s health care system, Community Health Centers have compiled a significant record of success over nearly 50 years by:

• Reducing income and ethnic health disparities nationwide, even in the poorest and most challenged communities
• Producing $24 billion in annual health system savings
• Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the ER
• Generating a system of preventive medicine that patients use regularly to stay healthy, thus saving lives.

The work of health centers continues to draw praise during NHCW from bipartisan Members of Congress, the White House and state and local officials.

As one of the largest primary care provider networks in the country, health centers collectively serve more than 22 million people, and have become the trusted healthcare provider of choice for many families and individuals, whether they are insured or not.  Evidence shows patients choose health centers because they are convenient, high quality, affordable, and offer a range of services from a team of caring professionals. Studies also show the quality of care at a health center is as good as or even better than private practices.

To learn more about the mission and accomplishments of Community Health Centers please visit the web site of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) atwww.nachc.org.

To find out more about National Health Center Week, visit www.healthcenterweek.org. Use#NHCW2014 to follow and join the conversation.”