Tools
Chronicles Project: The Community Health Center Story
Web site
Honors the history of community health centers and helps health centers tell their stories.
CMS Recovery Audit Program
Web site
Provides information on the Recovery Audit program, to reduce Medicare improper payments through detection and collection of overpayments, the identification of underpayments and the implementation of actions to prevent future improper payments.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
Web site
Codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.
Community HealthCorps
Web site
Promotes health care for America's underserved. Works to increase access to health care, provide health education, support use of health care services, and recruit and develop volunteers to support community health centers.
Dental Volunteer
Database
Searchable database of dental health volunteering opportunities in the United States and abroad. Individuals can search for volunteer opportunities and organizations can use the site to seek dental health volunteers.
Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) Statistics
Web site
Charts the number of primary, dental, and mental health professional shortage areas (HPSA) for each state and how many health care providers would be required to remove the shortage designation. Includes the percentage of designations located in rural vs. urban areas. Data is updated several times a month.
Developing and Implementing a Discount Fee Schedule
Web site
Basic information for clinics and health centers about developing and implementing
a sliding fee schedule for low-income populations.
Directory of State and Regional Primary Care Associations
Web site
Lists address, phone, email and web addresses for state and regional Primary Care Associations (PCAs). PCAs work to promote, expand, and optimize access to primary care.
Directory of State Primary Care Offices (PCOs)
Web site
Lists contact information for each state's Primary Care Office (PCO). PCOs represent the needs of the underserved populations and the providers who serve them. These offices can provide information on Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver programs, loan repayment programs, and recruitment and retention.
EHR Selection Toolkit for Community Health Centers
Web site
Provides a list of criteria to review with vendors of EHR systems to insure the unique needs of community health centers (CHCs) are met.
Federal Tort Claims Act for Health Centers: Key Resource in Supporting Quality Care
Web site
Offers FAQs, handbooks, policies, and information on the application and reporting processes for HRSA-supported health centers with malpractice insurance through the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) Center
Web site
Provides links to manuals, billing codes, enrollment and certification information, legislation, regulations, and contacts related to Medicare and Medicaid services in Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Find a Health Center
Database
Allows users to search for health centers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and other Bureau of Primary Health Care service delivery sites, by location. These health centers provide free and low-cost health services such as: primary medical, obstetrical and gynecological, dental, mental health and substance abuse care.
FQHC Look-Alike Program
Web site
Information on the Federally Qualified Health Centers Look-Alike program, including eligibility, program requirements, benefits, and contacts for more information.
Health Care Health Center Program
Web site
Information and resources for the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program or referred to as the community health center (CHC) program. Includes information about current and past funding, program requirements, and the benefits of health center status.
Health Center Program: How to Apply
Web site
Provides information about applying for the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program often referred as community health center (CHC) program.
Health Center Program: Policy Information Notices & Program Assistance Letters
Web site
Links to Bureau of Primary Health Care Program Information Notices (PINs) and Program Assistance Letters (PALs) from 1994-present.
Health Center Program: Requirements
Web site
A summary of the set of requirements for both Federally Qualified Health Centers, which receive Federal funding, and Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes, which do not receive Federal funding.
Health Centers and Look-alike Sites Data Download
Web site
Downloadable file contains current data about HRSA’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes – sites that qualify for HRSA grant funding but do not currently receive any funding from those programs. Includes raw data as a text file, the metadata and template files in Excel format, and import instructions in PDF format.
Health IT - Meaningful Use Resources
Web site
Resource devoted to helping hospital leaders better understand the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health records incentive programs and their associated "meaningful use" requirements.
Healthcare Facility Design
Web site
Intended for community health centers and other safety net clinics that are planning upgrades to their facilities and was developed by The Center for Health Design (CHD). Offers literature reviews, best practice clinic design examples, recommended design and operational strategies, and tips from the field.
HealthCare Volunteer
Database
Searchable database of health care volunteering opportunities in the United States and abroad. Individuals can search for volunteer opportunities and organizations can use the site to seek health care volunteers.
HRSA Geospatial Data Warehouse
Web site
Provides access to HRSA program data and other health related - including rural health - raw data for download and permits the user to selectively filter, sort, and choose data columns to create customized maps and reports. Also, presents charts, reports and maps and tools that address specific health data topics.
HRSA in Your State
Web site
Offers summaries of HRSA programs operating in each state down to the county level. Also provides state-specific information about health centers, National Health Service Corps and the communities they serve, the number of participating providers through the 340B program, and identifies shortage designation areas within each state.
HRSA Information Center
Web site
Provides publications, information, resources, and referrals about health care services for medically underserved individuals and populations.
HRSA Open Opportunities
Web site
Provides details on HRSA's competitive grant offerings for the current fiscal year.
HRSA: Office of Regional Operations
Web site
HRSA’s Office of Regional Operations (ORO) website that includes a directory of the ten regional offices and key staff working to improve health care systems and safety net, increase access to quality care, reduce disparities, and advance public health.
HRSA: Rural Health (Office of Rural Health Policy)
Web site
Provides rural health resources that include grant information, technical assistance, and research publications.
ICD-10 For Safety Net Providers
Web site
Provides resources on ICD-10 and Version 5010 to support the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10.
Key Community Health Center Data by State
Web site
Provides national and state-level data on Federally Qualified Health Centers' patients, services provided, staff, patient visits, and costs of care. Includes an interactive map for accessing state fact sheets.
Medically Underserved Area/Medically Underserved Population (MUA/MUP) Database
Database
Allows searching by state, county, or ID number. Includes designation status and date.
Medicare Contracting Reform
Web site
Provides information and resources concerning the Part A/Part B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).
NACHC Health Reform Hub
Web site
Serves as a clearinghouse for the latest information about health reform and health centers, including updates on key legislative and regulatory issues, fact sheets, as well as tools to help health centers implement health reform.
National Health Centers Directory
Web site
Offers a listing of health centers including migrant health centers available across the country.
Primary Care Association (PCA) Web Sites
Web site
Links to each state's Primary Care Association (PCA). PCAs work to promote, expand, and optimize access to primary care in each state.
Quality Improvement & Risk Management Training
Tutorial
Five training modules on integrating quality and risk management led by George Rust, MD, MPH, deputy director of the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Rural FP Community
Web site
Information and resources for family physicians, health care providers and others who serve the nation's rural families.
Rural Health Open Door Forum
Web site
Provides information on CMS teleconference forums addressing rural health issues. Covers Rural Health Clinic (RHC), Community Access Hospital (CAH) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) issues. Includes call-in instructions for the next forum and how to register for the mailing list.
Rural Health Research: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Shortage Designation: Health Professional Shortage Areas & Medically Underserved Areas / Populations
Web site
Describes and provides information on how to apply for and locate shortage designations: Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas and Populations (MUAs/MUPs).
Starting a Federally Qualified Health Center
Web site
Presents several frequently asked questions regarding setting up a FQHC.
State Health Facts Online
Database
Contains state-level data on demographics, household income, health status, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons. Includes statistics by state on medical malpractice and Medicare.
UDS Mapper
Web site
Developed to help inform users about the current geographic extent of Section 330 U.S. federally funded health centers (FQHCs). Designed upon algorithms and reporting methods for the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)-requested service area analyses. Requires a brief log-in registration.
Vaccines.gov
Web site
Helps parents and other consumers learn about the most effective way to protect themselves and their children from infectious diseases and learn about immunization.
Version 5010 and ICD-10: Closer Than You Think (Webinar)
Web site
Webinar, presented by Christi Dant of the CMS Office of E-Health Standards & Services along with Bill Finerfrock of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, discusses the transition to Version 5010 and ICD-10 from the provider and the facility perspectives.
Workflow Assessment for Health IT Toolkit
Web site
Assists people and organizations interested or involved in the planning, design, implementation, and use of health IT in ambulatory care to conduct a workflow analysis and redesign before, during, and after health information technology implementation.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Academic Health Centers and Community Health Centers: The Landscape of Current Partnerships
Author(s): Ryan D. Brutger
Sponsoring organization: Association of Academic Health Centers
Provides a broad profile of academic and community health center partnerships throughout the United States.
Date: 2010
Access Capital: New Opportunities for Meeting America's Primary Care Infrastructure Needs
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Examines why significant investments in health center infrastructure are critical to meeting rising numbers of medically underserved and uninsured people.
Date: 03 / 2008
Access Denied: A Look at America's Medically Disenfranchised
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Reports results of a study that found inadequate access to a primary care physicians due to shortages of these physicians in certain communities. Includes some rural-specific information on health care access.
Date: 2007
Access Endangered: Profiles of the Medically Disenfranchised
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Shows that a growing number of Americans affected by the economic downturn, including middle class families, are turning to Community Health Centers for their health care needs.
Date: 08 / 2011
ACO Toolkit
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Provides a path forward for the implementation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) for a diverse range of health care provider groups across the country.
Date: 01 / 2010
Adding Specialty Services to a California FQHC: Legal and Regulatory Issues
Author(s): Regina M. Boyle
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Outlines for FQHCs (and FQHC Look-Alikes) the state and federal laws and regulations that govern the provision of specialty services.
Date: 07 / 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Answers initial questions about several sections of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) with the most direct impact on health centers and the patients they serve. Includes contact information for NACHC staff who can provide additional guidance.
Date: 2009
America’s Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Provides information about Community Health Centers also known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which improve access to care for millions of Americans regardless of their
insurance status or ability to pay.
Date: 08 / 2010
Announcement of Medicare Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) Payment Rate Increases
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Provides general information about payment rate increases for Medicare Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Journal citation: MLN Matters Issue MM6218
Date: 10 / 2008
Area Health Education Center and Community Health Center Collaboration: Effective Partnerships for the Recruitment of Health Professionals
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Describes ways that Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) can work together to recruit and retain health professionals. Includes examples of AHEC-CHC partnerships in several states.
Date: 2006
Assessing and Addressing Legal Barriers to the Clinical Integration of Community Health Centers and Other Community Providers
Author(s): Sara Rosenbaum, Marcie H. Zakheim, Jacqueline Leifer, Michael D. Golde, Jillanne M. Schulte, Ross Margulies
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Outlines the laws and policies that govern clinical collaborations between community health centers and their partners and profiles the health centers that have worked within the law to develop partnerships that benefit patients while still adhering to the health centers’ core mission - to assure health care for all regardless of insurance coverage.
Date: 07 / 2011
Clinic Considerations for: Provider-Based (PB) Clinics, Rural Health Clinics (RHC), Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHC)
Author(s): Robert Ellis
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
Provides a comparison of organizational and programmatic options available to rural health
care entities for the delivery of primary health care services.
Date: 12 / 2010
Clinical Recruitment and Retention Toolkit
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Toolkit was developed to assist Community Health Centers to: support the existing clinical workforce, and attain, groom, and retain compassionate healers who provide excellent clinical care and feel professionally at home in a Community Health Center.
Date: 2010
Clinician's Handbook on the Federal Tort Claims Act
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Written for Health Center clinicians who are (or will be) receiving Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice protection. Intended to provide a fundamental understanding of the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Date: 2001
CMS Issues Proposed Changes in Conditions of Participation Requirements and Payment Provisions for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Proposed rule to update certification and participation regulations and payment provisions for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Date: 06 / 2008
Code of Federal Regulations: 42 CFR 491 Certification of Certain Health Facilities
Establishes the conditions Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers must meet to qualify for reimbursement under Medicare, as well as those that Rural Health Clinics must meet to qualify for reimbursement under Medicaid.
Date: 2007
COGME Twentieth Report: Advancing Primary Care
Author(s): Jerry Kruse, Mark Kelley, Tom Keane, et al.
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
Makes recommendations related to the ideal number of primary care physicians, primary care physician reimbursement, as well as their education and distribution. Addresses rural and underserved areas, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Community Health Centers (CHCs).
Date: 12 / 2010
Collaboration and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
Provides non-FQHC health care providers with a better understanding of what is motivating FQHCs to expand the number of service sites and provide non-FQHC reimbursed services, such as laboratory and other diagnostic services.
Date: 03 / 2011
Collaboration with Rural Community Health Centers VISN 5, Task 4: Final Report
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Outlines the steps involve in implementing a pilot project that will enable community-based providers to improve coordination of care between CHCs and VHA.
Date: 06 / 2011
Community Health Centers and Health Reform: Summary of Key Health Center Provisions
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Summarizes key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) that directly or indirectly impact community health centers.
Community Health Centers and the Economy: Assessing Centers’ Role in Immediate Job Creation Efforts
Author(s): Sara Rosenbaum, Peter Shin
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Department of Health Policy
Examines the potential economic benefit, including job creation opportunities, resulting from investments in community health centers.
Date: 09 / 2011
Community Health Centers Lead the Primary Care Revolution
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Fact sheet that shows how community health centers are prepared for the goals of the Recovery Act.
Date: 08 / 2010
Community Health Centers: A Guide for State Policymakers
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
Discusses Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Includes interviews with health professionals.
Date: 06 / 2011
Community Health Centers: Opportunities and Challenges of Health Reform
Author(s): Sara Rosenbaum, Emily Jones, Peter Shin, Jennifer Tolbert
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Examines the role that community health centers will play in implementing health reform and providing access to care for millions of Americans who will gain insurance coverage under the new law.
Date: 08 / 2010
Community Health Centers: Providers, Patients, and Content of Care
Author(s): Esther Hing, Roderick Hooker
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NCHS Data Brief which compares patient and encounter characteristics across the different types of providers seen at CHC visits during a 3-year period, 2006–2008.
Journal citation: Issue 65
Date: 07 / 2011
Comparison of the Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Programs
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides a general comparison of the financial
components of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center
(FQHC) programs under Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 06 / 2006
Dentist Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Presents results for dentists from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Provides information on dentist vacancy rates by rural and urban location. Compares dentist vacancies to other health care provider vacancies at FQHCs.
Date: 12 / 2005
Designating Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Populations / Medically Underserved Areas: A Primer on Basic Issues to Resolve
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Jennifer P. Lundblad, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
Purpose of this paper is to help interested parties consider issues related to the designation of MUAs, MUPs, and HPSAs. Paper includes narrative describing key issues and a table summarizing how the designations establish eligibility for programs important to rural medical care delivery.
Date: 08 / 2010
Developing Federally Qualified Health Centers into Community Networks to Improve State Primary Care Delivery Systems
Author(s): Mary Takach, Jason Buxbaum
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
Highlights three states that are collaborating to build community networks to make medical home services available for vulnerable populations, and to improve their primary care delivery systems.
Date: 05 / 2011
Developing Rural Federally Qualified Health Center and Critical Access Hospital Collaboration in Appalachia: A Demonstration Project
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Examines the process of an Federally Qualified Health Center and a rural hospital coming together to consider joint activities that would mutually benefit them and their community.
Date: 10 / 2007
Economic Stimulus: Gauging the Early Effects of ARRA Funding on Health Centers and Medically Underserved Populations and Communities
Author(s): Peter Shin, Brian Bruen, Emily Jones, Leighton Ku, Sara Rosenbaum
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Department of Health Policy
Describes how the economic stimulus funding impacted and will continue to impact community health centers in rural and urban areas. Addresses the potential challenge they may have to sustain and enhance programs and services initiated through stimulus funding.
Date: 02 / 2010
Enhancing the Capacity of Community Health Centers to Achieve High Performance: Findings from the 2009 Commonwealth Fund National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers
Author(s): Michelle M. Doty, Melinda K. Abrams, Susan E. Hernandez, Kristof Stremikis, Anne C. Beal
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Report highlights methods for strengthening FQHCs’ ability to provide care. These include formalizing partnerships with hospitals, improving office systems, adopting the medical home model, and increasing use of HIT.
Date: 05 / 2010
Expanding Health Centers Under Health Care Reform: Doubling Patient Capacity and Bringing Down Costs
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Defines how $11 billion from the health reform package will fund new health centers, plus expand and modernize existing health centers.
Date: 06 / 2010
Fact Sheet: Federally Qualified Health Center
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Provides a general summary about FQHCs that includes a list of helpful rural health websites.
Date: 11 / 2011
Fact Sheet: Medicare Shared Savings Program and Rural Providers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Provides an overview of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) for rural providers. Discusses rules to help doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers better coordinate care for Medicare patients.
Date: 10 / 2011
Family Physician Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Presents results for family physicians from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Provides information on family physician vacancy rates by rural and urban location. Compares family physician vacancies to other physician vacancies at FQHCs.
Date: 11 / 2005
Federal Community Health Centers and State Health Policy: A Primer for Policy Makers
Author(s): Mary Takach
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
Contains an overview of federally funded community health centers to assist state policy makers in their state’s health system plans.
Date: 06 / 2008
Federal Tort Claims Act: Information Related to Implications of Extending Coverage to Volunteers at HRSA-Funded Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Describes information on claims and lawsuits paid under current FTCA coverage for Health Centers, potential financial implications of extending FTCA coverage to volunteers in Health Centers, and how this extension could have an impact on volunteerism at Health Centers.
Date: 06 / 2009
Federally Qualified Health Center Manual: Medicare Part A
Sponsoring organization: TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, LLC
Overview of the Federally Qualified Health Center program including the certification process and the requirements regarding health care professionals, covered services and Medicare.
Date: 02 / 2012
Federally Qualified Health Centers and State Health Policy: A Primer for California
Author(s): Mary Takach, Elizabeth Osius
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Discusses how California has an opportunity to improve the performance and sustainability of federally qualified health centers by integrating technology, adapting to changes in health policy, and tapping new sources of funding.
Date: 07 / 2009
Frequently Asked Questions: Health Centers and Health Reform
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Lists questions with answers surrounding community health centers and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as of May 2010.
Date: 2010
Fundamentals of Community Health Centers
Author(s): Jessamy Taylor
Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum
Describes the history of the community health center (CHC) program. Discusses policy issues influencing health centers, such as Medicaid payment policies and medically underserved area designations. Also discusses recent efforts to expand the CHC program.
Date: 08 / 2004
Health Care Shortage Designations: HPSA, MUA, and TBD
Author(s): Eileen Salinsky
Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum
Reviews the methodologies utilized in the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and the Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designations, identifies federal programs that use these designations to allocate resources, describes proposals to consolidate and improve these designations, and discusses the Affordable Care Act provision to harmonize the two designations.
Date: 06 / 2010
Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey 2004: Results by Health and Human Services Regions and Health Center Geography
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, L. Gary Hart
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Reports findings from the national study of health centers staffing, recruitment and retention. Provides information by HHS region, urban and rural geography, and national overall estimates. Includes 118 graphs of selected survey results.
Date: 03 / 2007
Health Center Quarterly Report (HCQR): ARRA Reporting Manual
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
This updated manual supports submission of the Health Center Quarterly Report (HCQR) for health centers receiving funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Date: 06 / 2011
Health Center Related Provisions in Health Reform Legislation
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Identifies rural community health center provisions within the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the reconciliation bill. Uses a table to compare proposals by the Senate and House committees. This newest version was released to the Web in mid-April.
Date: 2010
Health Centers and Health Care Reform: Accountable Care Organizations and Medical Homes
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Summarizes the new programs and demonstration projects from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that promote patient-centered, quality, primary care delivery in a medical home setting.
Date: 04 / 2010
Health Centers and Health Care Reform: Health Center Funding Growth
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Outlines how dedicated, direct funding through a new Trust Fund and a permanent authorization will significantly grow the Health Centers program over the coming years. Based on the Reconciliation Act of 2010 changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Date: 04 / 2010
Health Centers and Health Care Reform: Medicare Reimbursement for Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Examines the changes to Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) services and the associated Medicare reimbursements as dictated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Date: 04 / 2010
Health Centers and Health Care Reform: National Health Service Corps
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Outlines the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (ACA) five-year expenditure plan for the National Health Service Corps.
Health Centers and Health Care Reform: Payment and Participation
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Defines an exchange plan and describes how the new health law ensures that health center patients are included in new insurance products, and that health centers continue to provide affordable, accessible, quality health care.
Date: 04 / 2010
Health Centers and Health Care Reform: Public Insurance Programs
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Describes the expansion of Medicaid, the expansion of Medicare reimbursement rates, and the maintenance of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) income eligibility levels as dictated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Date: 04 / 2010
Health Centers and Rural Clinics: State and Federal Implementation Issues for Medicaid's New Payment System
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Reviews states' implementation of
the prospective payment
system (PPS) for Medicaid
payments to Federally Qualified
Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural
Health Clinics (RHCs). Includes recommendations for CMS on guidance and oversight for states.
Date: 06 / 2005
Health Centers: America’s Primary Care Safety Net Reflections on Success, 2002-2007
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Describes how HRSA-funded health centers improve the lives of the more than 16 million people they treat each year. Uses personal stories, examples and background statistics. Highlights agencies who work to overcome language and cultural barriers that often have thwarted efforts to serve poor and minority patients living on the margins of mainstream society.
Date: 06 / 2008
Health Professional Shortage Areas: Problems Remain With Primary Care Shortage Area Designation System
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Reviews the number and location of Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and federal programs that use HPSA designations to allocate resources or provide benefits. Discusses available research on HPSA designation criteria and methodology. Addresses the impact of a 2002 provision that automatically designates federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and certain rural health clinics (RHCs) as facility HPSAs.
Date: 10 / 2006
Health Wanted: The State of Unmet Need for Primary Health Care in America
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Describes why Americans experience difficulties in accessing primary care and the effects of not having access to preventive medicine. Explains how Community Health Centers fulfill unmet primary care needs with statistics specific to rural areas.
Date: 03 / 2012
Impact of Federal Stimulus Funds on Community Health Centers in California
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Summarizes the funding opportunities in ARRA that could help bolster and improve California's community Health Centers during this recession.
Date: 07 / 2009
Importance of Community Health Centers: Engines of Economic Activity and Job Creation
Author(s): Ellen-Marie Whelan
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
Looks at community health centers and their potential to deliver jobs and economic growth.
Date: 08 / 2010
Importance of Community Partnerships
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
Spotlights hospitals and health systems that have successfully collaborated with local community organizations to promote care coordination, wellness, and prevention. Among the entities featured include rural hospitals and community health centers.
Date: 12 / 2010
Increasing EHR Use for Quality Improvement in Community Health Centers: The Role of Networks
Author(s): Robert H. Miller, Chris E. West
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Researchers describe how networks helped
CHCs to use EHRs to improve chronic and preventive care and the barriers they faced.
Date: 08 / 2011
Manual on Effective Collaboration Between Critical Access Hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Highlights how through cooperation and collaboration, CAHs and FQHCs, especially those near each other and serving similar communities, can meet community needs, enhance roles, and stabilize and expand needed services and rural delivery systems.
Date: 04 / 2010
Medicare Advantage Organizations Offering PFFS Plans: Payment of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Clarification of CMS payment requirements to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) under private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans.
Date: 09 / 2007
Medicare Benefit Policy Manual: Chapter 13 - Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Services
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Provides definitions of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) programs. Includes definitions of physician services and other services.
Date: 10 / 2009
Medicare Billing Information for Rural Providers and Suppliers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Provides Medicare billing charts and information on where to submit claims for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Skilled Nursing Facilities, Home Health Agencies, Critical Access Hospitals, and Swing Bed services.
Date: 09 / 2011
Medicare Claims Processing Manual: Chapter 9 - Rural Health Clinics / Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Describes the differences between Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Identifies the rules and regulations for processing Medicare claims.
Date: 10 / 2009
Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations, Final Rule
Sponsoring organization: American Academy of Family Physicians
Summarizes segments of the rule on Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) as they affect family practitioners in small and medium-sized practices, including Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 11 / 2011
Medicare’s Accountable Care Organization Regulations: How Will Medicare Beneficiaries who Reside in Medically Underserved Communities Fare?
Author(s): Sara Rosenbaum, Peter Shin
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Department of Health Policy
Examines impact of ACO rule on medically underserved areas.
Date: 04 / 2011
National Health Service Corps Site Reference Guide
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides clarity on NHSC site eligibility requirements, qualification factors, compliance, roles and responsibilities, as well as a number of other key elements on becoming an NHSC-approved site. Serves as an additional resource to supplement the information contained in the Site Application and the Site Application Instructions.
Date: 03 / 2012
National Survey of Health Information Technology (HIT) Adoption in Federally Qualified Health Centers
Author(s): Michael R. Lardiere
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
The purpose of this survey was to determine the extent to which health centers have adopted health information technology, identify the major vendors utilized by health centers, determine the extent to which health centers have integrated behavioral health and/or oral health electronic records with medical health records, and health centers’ use of telemedicine.
Date: 05 / 2009
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on the Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas: Appendices and Addenda
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Represents the views of certain members of the Negotiated Rulemaking (NRM) Committee with information in support of several key Committee decisions related to the designation process presented in the full Committee report.
Date: 10 / 2011
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on the Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas: Appendices and Addenda: Attachments
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Contains supportive material for developing recommendations and influencing methodologies used to determine medically underserved populations (MUPs) and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as presented in the full Negotiated Rulemaking (NRM) Committee report.
Date: 10 / 2011
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on the Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas: Final Report to the Secretary
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Contains recommendations and documentation of the Negotiated Rulemaking (NRM) Committee to influence methodologies used to determine medically underserved populations (MUPs) and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Date: 10 / 2011
Outside the Box: Case Studies in Creative Clinic Design
Author(s): Dana Dubbs
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Examines the need for and role of well-conceived facilities within the safety net system. Highlights two rural California clinics that used outside-the-box thinking to create buildings that support new models of care.
Date: 06 / 2010
Partnerships Between Federally Qualified Health Centers and Local Health Departments for Engaging in the Development of a Community-Based System of Care
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Discusses both federally qualified health centers and local health departments and explores various collaborative models between them that optimize resources and promote improved health care access and quality improvement.
Date: 10 / 2010
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Impacts on Rural People, Places, and Providers: A First Look
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Jennifer P. Lundblad, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
Summarizes six issue areas of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and discusses implications for access to services and improving the health status of rural residents. These issue areas are: health insurance coverage; Medicare and Medicaid payment; quality, financing, and delivery system reform; public health; healthcare workforce; and long-term care.
Date: 09 / 2010
Primary Care Access: An Essential Building Block of Health Reform
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Examines why primary care can be the foundation of any health care reform effort, and how
building on the success of Community Health Centers could anchor primary care health access in communities that have been unable to sustain sources of stable, high quality health care.
Date: 03 / 2009
Providing Underserved Patients with Medical Homes: Assessing the Readiness of Safety-Net Health Centers
Author(s): Katie Coleman, Kathryn Phillips
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Surveys safety-net health centers (public hospitals and clinics, federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, and free clinics for the medically underserved) to determine their potential to become patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs).
Date: 05 / 2010
Public Health Service Act, Section 330
Section 330 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act defines the requirements for Health Centers. Title 42 of the U.S. Code, Chapter 6A is the Public Health Service Act, and
section 254b is the equivalent of Section 330 of the PHS Act.
Realizing Health Reform’s Potential: How the Affordable Care Act Will Strengthen Primary Care and Benefit Patients, Providers, and Payers
Author(s): Melinda Abrams, Rachel Nuzum, Stephanie Mika, Georgette Lawlor
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Describes how the Affordable Care Act will begin to address the neglect of America’s primary care system and, wherever possible, estimates the potential impact these efforts will have on patients, providers, and payers.
Date: 01 / 2011
Registered Nurse Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers: Project Summary
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Discusses the registered nurse (RN) vacancy rate in federally funded health centers, which varies by degree of rurality.
Date: 12 / 2006
Results of the 2004 Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey for Health Centers: Analyses for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI States)
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, L. Gary Hart
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Presents a subset of the findings from
the larger national study of Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) staffing needs of FQHCs located in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) overall and by urban and rural geography.
Date: 11 / 2006
Rural Community Health Centers: Building Creative Partnerships to Meet the Workforce Challenge
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Reports on the second meeting of the National Rural Task Force making recommendations to the NRHA the special needs of rural providers and to promote the long term growth and substance or rural health centers.
Date: 07 / 2008
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) Billing Guide
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Describes the information FQHCs are required to submit for a Prospective Payment System (PPS), and it explains how RHCs should bill for certain preventive services under the Affordable Care Act.
Date: 2009
Safety Net Activities of Independent Rural Health Clinics
Author(s): David Hartley, John Gale, Al Leighton, Stuart Bratesman
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Explores to what extent independent Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are serving a safety net role and whether the proximity of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) has an effect on the extent to which an Rural Health Clinic serves the safety net role.
Date: 09 / 2010
Shortages of Medical Personnel at Community Health Centers
Author(s): Roger A. Rosenblatt, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Thomas Curtin, L. Gary Hart
Discusses staffing shortages at Community Health Centers (CHCs) in rural and urban locations and how these workforce shortages may impact efforts to expand the CHC program.
Journal citation: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume 295 Issue 9 Pages: 1042-1049
Date: 03 / 2006
Sketch of Community Health Centers: Chart Book 2009
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Includes charts that represent who Community Health Centers (CHCs) serve by race, age, and insurance status; how CHCs are growing; preventive services they provide; patient access to care; economic activity; and workforce shortages.
Date: 2009
So You Want to Start a Health Center...? A Practical Guide for Starting a Federally Qualified Health Center
Author(s): Pamela Byrnes, Jaime Hirschfeld, Judith Shea
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Provides step-by-step directions for planning and implementing a new health center, including instructions on applying for federal designations and funding.
Date: 07 / 2011
Social Security Act, Section 1832 (a)(2)(D): Scope of Benefits
This section of the Social Security Act lists Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center services as within the scope of benefits.
Social Security Act, Section 1861 (aa): Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified Health Center Services
Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified Health Center Services as defined in the Social Security Act. Scroll down to section (aa).
Social Security Act, Section 1902 (bb): State Plans for Medical Assistance
Part (bb) covers state plan requirements for payment for services for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Social Security Act, Section 1905 (l): Definitions for RHCs and FQHCs
Definitions of terms used in the Social Security Act related to Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
State Medicaid Manual, Part 4, section 4231: Services, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Other Ambulatory Services
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Medicaid coverage for federally qualified health center (FQHC) services and qualifications for FQHC status.
State Medicaid Manual, Part 6, section 6303: Payment for Services, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Other Ambulatory Services
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Requirements for states regarding Medicaid reimbursement to federally qualified health centers.
Strategic Restructuring for Community Clinics: Options and Examples
Author(s): Heather Gowdy, Diane Wong, Melissa Campos
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Explores CHCs experience with various types of partnerships and examines what opportunities strategic restructuring offer clinics seeking to strengthen their positions now and in the future.
Date: 06 / 2009
Strengthening Primary Care to Bend the Cost Curve: The Expansion of Community Health Centers Through Health Reform
Author(s): Leighton Ku, Patrick Richard, Avi Dor, Ellen Tan, Peter Shin, Sara Rosenbaum
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Department of Health Policy
Examines the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on the number of patients who will receive primary care services at community health centers and the effect of the service expansions on overall health care costs, including federal and state Medicaid expenditures.
Date: 06 / 2010
Summary of Health Information Technology Incentives and Resources
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
Summarizes the Medicare and Medicaid incentives available to eligible professionals and hospitals for the implementation of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. Included are definitions, information on meaningful use, certified technology, and helpful health information technology resources.
Date: 02 / 2011
Telehealth in Community Clinics: Three Case Studies in Implementation
Author(s): Christine Duclos, Julie M. Hook, Michael P. Rodriguez
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Highlights the experience and lessons learned of three community health centers as they planned and implemented their telehealth programs.
Date: 11 / 2010
Telehealth Technical Assistance Manual
Author(s): Samuel G. Burgiss
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Provides information to assist in the planning of
telehealth and telemedicine projects for rural
community and migrant health centers and
other health care organizations. Includes a step-by-step telehealth planning process.
Date: 10 / 2006
Transforming Community Health Centers into Patient-Centered Medical Homes: The Role of Payment Reform
Author(s): Leighton Ku, Peter Shin, Emily Jones, Brian Bruen
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Examines how changes in the way federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are financed could support the transformation of these critical safety-net providers into high performing patient-centered medical homes.
Date: 09 / 2011
Universal Appeal of Community Health Centers
Author(s): Shivani Parikh
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
Illustrates how Community Health Centers are a crucial source of health care for a diverse group of patients, providing preventive services, treatment, and care management for medically underserved communities.
Date: 08 / 2011
