About CHCs

'Health Center' is a broad term for a diverse range of public and non-profit organizations and programs that focus on improving the health of individuals and communities by providing comprehensive, accessible, affordable, quality primary and preventive care. Nationwide, Health Centers are the health care home for 20 million patients at 7,500 locations. In Michigan, 31 Health Centers serve nearly 600,000 patients at over 160 sites across the state.

Each Health Center’s staffing models, facilities, scope of services, and approaches are tailored to meet the unique needs of its patients and community. Many individuals have difficulty accessing medical care because of where they live, the language they speak, and their complex health care needs. Health Centers provide culturally appropriate health care that is close to where patients live, at times that are convenient, and in languages the patients can understand.

Health Centers have professionally trained health care teams. These teams may include board-certified or board-eligible physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, medical assistants, mental health and substance abuse professionals, dentists, and dental hygienists. The clinicians of each team work together to provide a core of primary health services to individuals and families throughout all life stages, from pediatric through geriatric.

Four types of Health Centers as described below are funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. These Health Centers may also be called Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and they must meet the following requirements:

Be located in or serve a Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA /MUP) as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration; these are areas where health care is needed but scarce
Operate under a patient-majority board of directors
Provide comprehensive primary care, oral health, and mental health/substance abuse services, as well as supportive services such as translation and transportation that promote access to health care
Provide services regardless of insurance status or income level
Charge uninsured patients for services on a sliding-fee scale that is based on family size and income

Community Health Centers (Section 330E)

Community Health Centers (CHCs) were developed in 1965 in response to community need for improved health services for inner city populations. As part of the federal government’s War on Poverty, funding was made available for communities to establish primary care centers to provide comprehensive health services, regardless of ability to pay. Although there have been many changes in the CHC program over the years, its foundation remains the same—to provide high-quality primary and preventive health care to people in rural and urban medically underserved areas.

Migrant Health Centers (Section 330G)

Migrant Health Centers (MHCs) were established in 1962 to provide comprehensive primary care to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers and their families through culturally-sensitive clinical protocols, bilingual health personnel, and lay outreach workers. Michigan has the seventh largest Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker population in the country; 90,716 Farmworkers and their dependents come to Michigan each year to do agriculatural work. Five MHCs in Michigan and many other CHCs provide care to this population.

Health Care for the Homeless Centers (Section 330H)

Modeled after a demonstration project jointly funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trust, the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program was initiated in 1987 as part of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. In 1996, Congress joined the HCH program to the Community, Migrant, and Public Housing Primary Health Care programs under a single authority called the Consolidated Health Center Program. The HCH program provides federal grants to non-profit organizations to deliver primary health care, substance abuse and mental health services, patient management, and education to homeless individuals and families through a multi-disciplinary approach and aggressive outreach. Seven Health Care for the Homeless Centers operate in Michigan, serving over over 18,000 homeless individuals.

Public Housing Health Centers (Section 330I)

The Public Housing Primary Care Program was established in 1990 to support the provision of accessible and comprehensive primary and preventive care to residents of public housing. Health promotion and disease prevention are emphasized, and primary health care services are provided on the premises of public housing developments or at other locations immediately accessible to residents of public housing.

Federally Qualified Health Center 'Look-Alikes'

Some organizations meet the same requirements as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) previously described but do not receive Section 330 funding. They are known as FQHC 'Look-Alikes’. This certification makes them, like FQHCs, eligible for enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement and participation in the 340B federal drug pricing program, and assists in recruiting and retaining providers through the National Health Service Corps and the State Loan Repayment Program.

Indian Health Service

The most prominent provider of health services to American Indians is the Indian Health Service (IHS). It provides both direct care and contract care to members of federally recognized tribes on or near federal reservations. In Michigan, 12 tribes contract with the IHS under P.L. 93-638 to provide comprehensive health care to federally recognized American Indians. At least five of the centers also provide care to non-Indian people within their geographic service area. The IHS also funds the American Indian Health & Family Services and Bay Mills Health Center to provide urban Indians in Southeast Michigan and Chippewa County respectively with comprehensive health care services, which include medical, community health, dental, and mental health/substance abuse services. Funding for IHS activities is provided under the Indian Health Care Improvement and Education Act and the Indian Self-Determination Act (P.L. 93-638).

Ryan White CARE Title III Clinics

Clinics funded under the Ryan White CARE Act Title III Early Intervention Services Program provide a comprehensive continuum of outpatient HIV primary care services including HIV counseling, testing, and referral; medical evaluation and clinical care; other primary care services; and referrals to other health services. Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, and Health Care for the Homeless sites funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act may receive Title III grants.

Community Health Center Fact Sheet (2010)
Michigan Community Health Centers at a Glance (2010)

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