Celebrating National Health Center Week
Once a year in August, Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. (Chiricahua) pauses in the demands of our daily work to celebrate what is known as “National Health Center Week” (this year it is August 3 – 8). With the very first designated ‘federally funded community health center’ founded about 60 years ago in Mississippi following the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, what are now known as “Federally Qualified Health Centers” (FQHCs) form a network of 1400+ non-profit primary care organizations across the nation – a network that served more than 32.5m people last year.
Providing high-quality primary care in a mostly rural and border region is not an easy task. Recruitment and retention of highly qualified, highly employable health care providers and administrative professionals is difficult anywhere, but even more so where we serve. While we in Cochise County appreciate both living and working in this beautiful region, the amenities of urban areas are a powerful and challenging force for a healthcare organization that serves the often-misunderstood rural borderlands of southeastern Arizona to overcome. This is why I am so proud that Chiricahua has built the remarkable workforce that we have (more than 400 strong) who serve our patients and communities day in and day out.
Jonathan Melk MD
At Chiricahua, we have a saying that “living a rural life should not mean living a shorter life.” As it stands today, this is unfortunately still the case. According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in 2021 (Trends in Death Rates in Urban and Rural Areas: United States, 1999- 2019), rural residents live more than two years less on average (76.7 years versus 79.1 years respectively). This is likely due to a number of factors, including greater likelihood for rural residents to a) miss key appointments due to transportation concerns, b) be uninsured (approximate 25% of Chiricahua’s patients are uninsured), and c) live in poverty.
Working collaboratively with other county partners, Chiricahua is determined to be a key force in changing this statistic for the better. Our most potent strategic asset to promote health is our ‘whole person primary care’ services that include medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral health, and care coordination services. To reduce transportation barriers, our clinics are located throughout the county (Benson, Bisbee, Douglas, Elfrida, Sierra Vista and– hopefully very soon—Willcox) with a fleet of mobile medical and dental clinics filling in gaps in care throughout. At most sites we offer extended hours, as well as Saturday, Sunday and even holiday availability. This is both for the convenience of our patients as well as preventing hospitalizations.
Recently, there has been a great of uncertainty in the healthcare space due to potential policy changes at the federal level that could disproportionately impact rural areas and lead to reduction in patient services. Although these threats are real and this uncertainty remains, at Chiricahua we are certain that 1) the healthcare needs of our patients will not decrease and 2) we will be here to do our best to meet these needs.
To learn more about the fascinating history of community health centers, you can visit https://healthcenterweek.org To learn more about Chiricahua, please visit www.cchci.org
Jonathan Melk MD is the Chief Executive Officer, Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.
to read the full article go to here: Celebrating National Health Center Week – myheraldreview
Early Childhood Center of Excellence
Ginger Ryan Clinic
