Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the Health Center Program – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the Health Center Program.
Medicare Claims Processing Manual: Chapter 9 - Rural Health Clinics/Federally Qualified Health Centers
Describes the differences between Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Identifies the rules and regulations for processing Medicare claims.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Describes the differences between Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Identifies the rules and regulations for processing Medicare claims.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Community Health Centers: Leading Innovation in Health Care
Presents graphs, charts, and data highlighting services provided by Community Health Centers, characteristics of the patients served, and progress made in improving access to healthcare. Reports on health centers' historical growth and recent trends, financial health, healthcare screening and disease prevention, management of chronic diseases, maternal and child health, workforce and service utilization, health information technology, and more. Includes urban-rural comparisons and maps with data by state throughout.
Author(s): Sarah Hurlbert, Mahima Singeetham, Amy Flowers
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Presents graphs, charts, and data highlighting services provided by Community Health Centers, characteristics of the patients served, and progress made in improving access to healthcare. Reports on health centers' historical growth and recent trends, financial health, healthcare screening and disease prevention, management of chronic diseases, maternal and child health, workforce and service utilization, health information technology, and more. Includes urban-rural comparisons and maps with data by state throughout.
Author(s): Sarah Hurlbert, Mahima Singeetham, Amy Flowers
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Become a Health Center
Provides information on becoming a Health Center Program awardee or look-alike. Includes details on applying for health center program funding and the benefits of look-alike designation, including Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Provides information on becoming a Health Center Program awardee or look-alike. Includes details on applying for health center program funding and the benefits of look-alike designation, including Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Community Health Center Patients, Financing, and Services
Describes health center patient characteristics, services, patient experiences, and financing changes between 2019 and 2023. Presents data on health centers in rural communities throughout.
Author(s): Akash Pillai, Bradley Corallo, Jennifer Tolbert
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Describes health center patient characteristics, services, patient experiences, and financing changes between 2019 and 2023. Presents data on health centers in rural communities throughout.
Author(s): Akash Pillai, Bradley Corallo, Jennifer Tolbert
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Strategies for Promoting Well-Being Across the Workplace Lifecycle: Case Studies from Rural Community Health Centers, Part 1
A recorded webinar that discusses staff well-being in rural Community Health Centers, with a focus on best practices related to staff recruitment, hiring strategies, and engagement. Includes information on social isolation and loneliness, work-life balance, and social and family needs of healthcare staff in rural areas. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Rural Recruitment Best Practices
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
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A recorded webinar that discusses staff well-being in rural Community Health Centers, with a focus on best practices related to staff recruitment, hiring strategies, and engagement. Includes information on social isolation and loneliness, work-life balance, and social and family needs of healthcare staff in rural areas. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Rural Recruitment Best Practices
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
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Federally Qualified Health Centers and Performance of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations
Explores the association between participation of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) with ACOs' beneficiary characteristics, utilization, expenditure, and quality. Features statistics including estimated changes in Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO-assigned beneficiaries, utilization, and expenditure, with breakdowns by FQHC and RHC visits and other types of visits.
Author(s): Kun Li, Yucheng Hou, Frank McStay, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S. Saunders
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2445536
Date: 11/2024
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Explores the association between participation of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) with ACOs' beneficiary characteristics, utilization, expenditure, and quality. Features statistics including estimated changes in Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO-assigned beneficiaries, utilization, and expenditure, with breakdowns by FQHC and RHC visits and other types of visits.
Author(s): Kun Li, Yucheng Hou, Frank McStay, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S. Saunders
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2445536
Date: 11/2024
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Building a Regional Healthcare Presence and Partnerships, with Krista Postai and Jason Wesco
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Krista Postai, CEO of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), and Jason Wesco, CHC/SEK's President and Chief Strategy Officer. Focuses on the community health center's journey from a single facility operating out of a trailer to having 18 locations across the region that leverage community partnerships to address health-related social needs.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Krista Postai, CEO of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), and Jason Wesco, CHC/SEK's President and Chief Strategy Officer. Focuses on the community health center's journey from a single facility operating out of a trailer to having 18 locations across the region that leverage community partnerships to address health-related social needs.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Safety Net Primary Care Capabilities After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the ability of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) versus non-FQHCs to provide safety net care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes 1,245 primary care practices, focusing on their characteristics such as census region and ownership, as well as their safety net care services, such as screening for social needs or ability to provide opioid treatment. Discusses the importance of FQHCs to access quality primary care, particularly for rural populations.
Author(s): Karen E. Schifferdecker, Ching-Wen W. Yang, Matthew B. Mackwood, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(8)
Date: 08/2024
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Examines the ability of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) versus non-FQHCs to provide safety net care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes 1,245 primary care practices, focusing on their characteristics such as census region and ownership, as well as their safety net care services, such as screening for social needs or ability to provide opioid treatment. Discusses the importance of FQHCs to access quality primary care, particularly for rural populations.
Author(s): Karen E. Schifferdecker, Ching-Wen W. Yang, Matthew B. Mackwood, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(8)
Date: 08/2024
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Community Health Centers' Progress and Challenges in Meeting Patients' Essential Primary Care Needs: Findings from the Commonwealth Fund 2024 National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers
Summarizes findings from the 2024 Commonwealth Fund National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which received responses from 737 FQHC leaders in fall 2023 and spring 2024. Explores the extent to which FQHCs achieve primary care accessibility, comprehensiveness, and coordination. Compares findings to data from the 2018 version of this survey to assess how care delivery changed over time. Describes barriers FQHCs face in offering high-quality care. Presents data by rural and urban location throughout.
Author(s): Celli Horstman, Corinne Lewis, Alexandra Bryan, Sara Federman
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Summarizes findings from the 2024 Commonwealth Fund National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which received responses from 737 FQHC leaders in fall 2023 and spring 2024. Explores the extent to which FQHCs achieve primary care accessibility, comprehensiveness, and coordination. Compares findings to data from the 2018 version of this survey to assess how care delivery changed over time. Describes barriers FQHCs face in offering high-quality care. Presents data by rural and urban location throughout.
Author(s): Celli Horstman, Corinne Lewis, Alexandra Bryan, Sara Federman
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Changes in Buprenorphine Prescribing in Community Health Centers
Analyzes changes from 2016 to 2021 in prescriptions of buprenorphine in Community Health Centers (CHCs) to treat opioid addiction. Utilizes data from the OCHIN Inc network of CHCs to analyze patient and clinic/clinician characteristics, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Daniel M. Hartung, Robert W. Voss, Steffani R. Bailey, Nathalie Huguet, John Muench
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(4), e240634
Date: 04/2024
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Analyzes changes from 2016 to 2021 in prescriptions of buprenorphine in Community Health Centers (CHCs) to treat opioid addiction. Utilizes data from the OCHIN Inc network of CHCs to analyze patient and clinic/clinician characteristics, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Daniel M. Hartung, Robert W. Voss, Steffani R. Bailey, Nathalie Huguet, John Muench
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(4), e240634
Date: 04/2024
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