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.
Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit
Offers a framework to support health center performance improvement and health outcomes across seven domains. Includes a guide to self-assessment to help health centers assess their current performance in each domain, describe assess their current performance in each domain, describe future performance goals, and identify how to reach and sustain improved performance. Offers self-assessment tools, including fillable checklists for each domain, progress snapshot worksheets, and example improvement activities.
Additional links: Guide to Self-Assessment, Self-Assessment Tools
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Offers a framework to support health center performance improvement and health outcomes across seven domains. Includes a guide to self-assessment to help health centers assess their current performance in each domain, describe assess their current performance in each domain, describe future performance goals, and identify how to reach and sustain improved performance. Offers self-assessment tools, including fillable checklists for each domain, progress snapshot worksheets, and example improvement activities.
Additional links: Guide to Self-Assessment, Self-Assessment Tools
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Impact of the Health Center Program
Brief overview of the Health Center Program, focusing on the goals of preserving access to affordable primary care, addressing emergent public health needs, and driving quality improvement.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Brief overview of the Health Center Program, focusing on the goals of preserving access to affordable primary care, addressing emergent public health needs, and driving quality improvement.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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The Rural Health Center Landscape: Data, Challenges, & Insights
Recording of a June 10, 2025, webinar discussing unique financial and operational challenges that rural health centers face. Covers health center growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, financial performance, staffing mix, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data 2020-2023. Features a discussion with William Edwards, chief financial officer of G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center in Canton, Mississippi.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Recording of a June 10, 2025, webinar discussing unique financial and operational challenges that rural health centers face. Covers health center growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, financial performance, staffing mix, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data 2020-2023. Features a discussion with William Edwards, chief financial officer of G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center in Canton, Mississippi.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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School-Based Health Centers and the Utilization of Primary Care in Rural Communities
Examines utilization patterns of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in 4 rural New York counties. Utilizes 2011–2017 electronic health record data to analyze students with or without access to SBHCs, utilization of SBHCs, and SBHC services used, such as primary care, immunizations, and chronic disease management.
Author(s): Xue Zhang, Sharon Tennyson, Chris L Kjolhede, Wendy M Brunner
Citation: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 69(4), 107962
Date: 06/2025
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Examines utilization patterns of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in 4 rural New York counties. Utilizes 2011–2017 electronic health record data to analyze students with or without access to SBHCs, utilization of SBHCs, and SBHC services used, such as primary care, immunizations, and chronic disease management.
Author(s): Xue Zhang, Sharon Tennyson, Chris L Kjolhede, Wendy M Brunner
Citation: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 69(4), 107962
Date: 06/2025
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National Health Center Financial and Operational Performance Analysis: 2020–2023
Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2020-2023. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2020-2023. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Organizational Factors Associated with Using Telehealth Services: Perspectives from Leaders of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Research and policy brief examining organizational factors influencing telehealth use in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Summarizes interviews with RHC and FQHC key informants to discuss perceptions of telehealth, implementation challenges, operational challenges, and opportunities for innovation. Provides suggestions for policy and reimbursement approaches to improve telehealth provision and access.
Author(s): Constance van Eeghen, John A. Gale, Erika Ziller, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Remote Care & Telehealth Research Center
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Research and policy brief examining organizational factors influencing telehealth use in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Summarizes interviews with RHC and FQHC key informants to discuss perceptions of telehealth, implementation challenges, operational challenges, and opportunities for innovation. Provides suggestions for policy and reimbursement approaches to improve telehealth provision and access.
Author(s): Constance van Eeghen, John A. Gale, Erika Ziller, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Remote Care & Telehealth Research Center
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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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