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Changing Lives |
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Compassion Spotlight
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The Need
For more than 40 years, Federally funded Health Centers have provided quality primary health care services to medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations.
Despite this effort and continued advances in health care and technology, many communities experience higher than average rates of infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV infection/AIDS, cancer, and lower rates of immunizations and cancer screening. The causes are complex, but two major factors are inadequate access to care and substandard quality of care.
Far too often, uninsured, low-income families rely on overcrowded emergency rooms to meet their medical needs.
The Response
In 2000, the President committed to create 1,200 new or expanded Health Center sites to increase health care access in the Nation�s most underserved communities. To lead this effort, he launched the President’s Community Health Center Initiative (CHCI).
Health centers are community-based and consumer-run organizations that serve populations with limited access to health care. Faith-based and other community nonprofit Health Centers are located in the neighborhoods they serve and governed by local residents. They seek to offer personalized, caring interaction to every patient. In addition to providing primary care, Health Centers provide access to pharmacy, preventive dental, mental health, prenatal care, and substance abuse services.
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Through this Initiative, Federal investment in the Health Center Program has nearly doubled —from slightly more than $1 billion in FY 2000 to nearly $2 billion in 2008. The CHCI strategy focuses on:
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In FY 2007, the President announced that the CHCI exceeded the goals he set in 2000. To date, there are now more than 4,000 comprehensive sites across the country helping those in need. The presence of over 1,200 new or expanded Health Centers translates into vast increases in the number of previously underserved Americans receiving care. This includes:
A total of 15 million patients served in 2006—an increase of more than 4.7 million over 2001;
An 80% increase in patients receiving dental services (a total of 2.6 million patients); and
A 170% increase in the number of patients receiving mental health care (a total of 470,000 patients). Americans most in need are, and continue to be, the primary beneficiaries of Community Health Centers (CHC). Over 92% of CHC patients are low-income individuals and 64% of CHC patients are minorities.
President’s Health Centers Initiative
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Count of Community Health grants by Fiscal Year (FY) by Activity |
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FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
FY 2005 |
FY 2006 |
FY 2007 |
Total |
New Access Points |
171 |
100 |
63 |
94 |
86 |
202* |
716 |
Expanded Medical |
131 |
88 |
66 |
64 |
36 |
135 |
520 |
Total |
302 |
188 |
129 |
158 |
122 |
337 |
1,236 |
* Included are up to 80 grants for the High Poverty Counties Initiative.
Exemplary Impact: Christ Community Health Services is an example of how these new partners impact their community. Memphis, Tennessee has distressingly high rates of infant mortality, adult chronic disease and avoidable deaths. From its founding in 1995 until 2003, Christ Community was a financially struggling grassroots organization. It was often unable to recruit physicians and staff to the distressed neighborhood where it was located, which had no other health resources.
With support from CHCI and grants from the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Christ Community has:
Grown to 25 medical providers, six outreach programs, four health centers and one mobile clinic for the homeless.
Been designated by the State of Tennessee as a Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS care, making it one of only 10 in the State and only two in Memphis.
Estimated it will serve as a health care home to nearly 40,000 patients through 100,000 medical encounters in 2008.
Become Tennessee’s largest screening site for breast and cervical cancer among low-income, uninsured women.
Provided prenatal care using new models that researchers believe will make great strides in reducing low birth weight and infant mortality.
Without Christ Community in their neighborhoods, most of these people would continue to rely on hospital emergency rooms for even the most basic care, leading to further ER overcrowding. Now, thousands of low-income patients have a health care home and a place to establish a long-term relationship and receive regular preventive care — something they likely have never had access to before.
Sites where Community Health Centers were either established or expanded
For more information about the work of Christ Community Health Services, visit http://www.christcommunityhealth.org/home.htm 
