Nearly 30 million Americans from all walks of life rely on their local community health center for healthcare services. CHCs serve 1 in 12 Americans, including 2.6 million seniors and 8 million children. 1 in 5 patients at CHCs live in rural communities, and they also serve 398,000 veterans. Health centers such as Finger Lakes Community Health provide comprehensive health services to everyone, regardless of economic background, insurance status, or occupation.
Community health centers are an essential part of our health care system, but they are not well understood. Every CSC organization is governed by a board of directors that must include the patients they serve, giving them a voice in the services they receive and the hours a health center operates. Many think that we only serve certain groups of people, but we serve everyone in the community.
At FLCH, we serve people from all backgrounds and incomes! College professors, students, professionals and retirees, to name a few. In addition, FLCH also supports our many farms with special health services for agricultural workers. In summary, we care for entire families, from infants to grandparents. This is family medicine at its best!
Each year, we celebrate National Health Center Week (August 7-13) in honor of our patients and staff. We hope this article can give you more information about the CHCs that are an important asset to so many communities across the state and country.
We help someone you know
According to New England Journal of Medicine, as of 2021, there are more than 1,400 community health center programs in the United States, with more than 14,500 service sites. Forty-two percent of CHCs are located in rural communities. In 2019, Finger Lakes Community Health served nearly 29,000 people at its eight health centers.
Complete services for everyone
Community health centers offer a wide range of services. At FLCH, we provide primary care, dental, reproductive health, mental health and addiction services, and care management.
Who provides care in CHCs?
FLCH has fully licensed and qualified healthcare professionals, many of whom live in the communities where they work. You may know our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jose Canario; Ellen Hey, FNP, Quality Manager; Amanda Felice, MS, LMHC, director of behavioral health; and Anthony Mendicino, DDS, Chief Dental Officer. CHCs hire highly qualified providers and nurses who provide exceptional care to their patients.
FLCH also hires a variety of support staff, including dental assistants, patient navigators, community health workers, finance advocates, and other positions. The data shows that CHCs are a significant employer where they are located and have a strong positive economic impact on these communities. Visit the FLCH website to learn more about our suppliers and services.
Affordable medicine
Community health centers help reduce health care costs and save money. A study by the American Public Health Association found that health centers are 24% more profitable than other providers. CHCs provide a quarter of all primary care visits for the country’s low-income population and generate annual savings of $24 billion.
Although health centers provide services not usually provided in other health facilities, their costs are still lower. Their costs are at least a dollar less per patient per day compared to all medical settings ($1.67 vs. $2.64) and are far less than the cost of a hospital stay (Source : National Association of Community Health Centers).
Quality care measures
Finger Lakes Community Health is licensed by the State Department of Health, the same agency that regulates hospitals and private practices. We must adhere to strict guidelines to continue to care for you. Community health centers also meet or exceed national standards of practice for the treatment of chronic conditions. In fact, the Institute of Medicine and the US Government Accountability Office have recognized health centers as models for the screening, diagnosis and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, depression , cancer and HIV (Source: Health Resources and Services Administration).
How to reduce healthcare costs at FLCH?
Community health care providers operate under a model of patient-centered care, involving patients in care decisions. This model allows providers to spare patients costly trips to the ER and helps them avoid relapses (Source: Tulane University Report). Our Community Health Centers in Geneva, Penn Yan, Sodus, Ovid, Port Byron and Newark have all been recognized as Level 3 Patient-Centred Medical Homes by the National Quality Assurance Committee – the highest level of recognition for excellence in comprehensive primary care.
It is difficult to find comprehensive health care under one roof. When considering who to choose for medical, dental, or behavioral health services, consider Finger Lakes Community Health. Come in for a visit. Talk to us. You will be surprised by what you will learn.
