Judd Mellinger-Blouch
Director, Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center
Introduction
 Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers
 Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center
 National Association of Community Health Centers
 3RNet (National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network)
Objectives
 Understand the important role Community Health
Centers play, today and in the future
 Understand the unique characteristics of Community
Health Centers and what distinguishes them from other
primary care providers
 Understand why you should consider Community
Health Centers as a potential career choice
Disclaimer
The information contained
in this presentation comes
from a previously
uninformed slug who had
worked in healthcare for
nearly 30 years and didn’t
know squat about FQHCs.
What is an FQHC?
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) offer
comprehensive, quality primary medical, behavioral and
dental health care. The distinguishing characteristics of
FQHCs are:
Fees based on ability to pay
Quality primary healthcare, open to All
Highly competent healthcare professional team
Community control
History of Community Health Centers
 Outgrowth of the Civil Rights
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movement
Started with 2 centers in
Mississippi
Continued in Boston, New York,
South Carolina
Supported by Ted Kennedy,
Donald Rumsfeld, George Bush,
AND Barack Obama
GOP-Controlled Congress?
PA FQHCs
• Serve more than
700,000 people
annually in PA at
more than 200 sites
• Provide more than
2 million visits
annually
•Contribute more
than $500 million to
economies of local
communities
• Provide more than
3500 FTE jobs in PA
Hamilton Health Center, Harrisburg
National Community Health Center Facts
 Largest primary care network in the country
 FQHC Patient Base is over 23 million people
 Nearly 9,000 clinical locations in every state and U.S.
territory
 Rapidly growing over the past decade
 9,600 Physicians; 6,400 CRNPs, CNMs and PAs
 3,300 Dental FTEs
 132,000 Staff
 Generate jobs and money:
 $20 billion for local economies
 189,000 jobs
National FQHC Goals for 2014
- Serve an additional 20
-
-
-
Community Health and Dental Care, Pottstown
million patients
Employ an additional
15,000 NHSC clinicians
Double the number of
FQHC sites
100% recognized as
Patient-Centered Medical
Homes
100% EHR implementation
Benefits of FQHC Status
 FQHC staff are covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act,
reducing the cost of medical malpractice
 FQHCs receive fairer Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement
 FQHCs automatically pre-qualify as National Health
Service Corps and J-1 Visa physician sites, supporting
recruitment and retention
 Most state loan repayment programs favor FQHCs
 FQHCs (but not Look-Alikes) receive some federal grant
support for care to the un- and underinsured
Rural Health Clinics
 Another essential part of

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Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, and Rural Health Clinic,
Coudersport
the primary care safety net
65 in PA
Must be located in nonurbanized area
Can be “provider-based”
Must employ a “midlevel”
FQHC Look-Alikes
 Meets all of the eligibility requirements of an FQHC but gets no federal
Section 330 grant funding.
Receive many of the same benefits as FQHCs, including:
 Cost-based reimbursement for Medicare services
 Reimbursement under the state PPS for services provided under
Medicaid
 Eligible to purchase medications for outpatients at reduced cost through
the 340B program
 Automatic designation as a HPSA
 May be an NHSC or Loan Repayment Site
 May sponsor J1 visa waiver candidates
And then there are the Gs
 Geisinger
 Guthrie
Who do Community Health Centers serve?
FQHC Patients by Payment Source
Why FQHCs?
 Communities served by an FQHC have a 10% lower infant
mortality rate than those with no health center
 Improved results also seen in other primary/preventive
areas: low birth weight babies; higher % women who receive
mammograms and pap smears; earlier prenatal care; and
fewer preventable hospitalizations
 Improved patient health and lower cost of treatment for
those with chronic illnesses
 Serve as Medical Home
Why FQHCs?
Patients with a Community Health Center as their medical
home, save the healthcare system an average of $1263 per
year.
In Pennsylvania alone, that’s $1263 multiplied by the more
than 700,000 individuals served by Community Health
Centers translates into $880 Million in Savings!
FQHCs receive bipartisan support
GOAL #1: Be the Provider of Choice
Why Do Patients Choose FQHCs?
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Affordability
Cultural Sensitivity
Convenient Location
Quality of Care
Comprehensive Services
Availability of Providers
Holistic Approach
Family-Centered
Respect for All
Open to All, Regardless of Ability to Pay
GOAL #2: Partner of Choice
Why Do Insurers and Hospitals
Choose to Work with FQHCs?
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Cost Control
Case Management
Open Door Policy
Track Record
Cultural Competency
Community Connectedness
Quality Care and Outcomes
Maria de Los Santos Health Center,
North Philadelphia
GOAL #3: Employer of Choice!
Why Do Clinicians Choose
FQHCs?
 Mission-Driven Work
 Financial Incentives
 Administrative Support
 Quality Assurance Initiatives
 Opportunity to Make Major
Impact
 Future of Primary Care
Squirrel Hill Health Center, Pittsburgh
“Growing up I was
raised with the
importance of giving
back. So when I was
given the opportunity
to work at an FQHC I
jumped at it, and it
has been very
rewarding and
fulfilling.”
“It’s so inspirational to
me that I’m not just
working for a paycheck
but I’m actually
making a difference in
the lives of people who
otherwise wouldn’t
have access to great
care.”
“(Our patients)
are remarkable
people who face
huge obstacles
every day. As I
get to know these
people, I find
that the healing
really goes both
ways.”
Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center
www.paprimarycarecareers.org
 Job listings
 Career planning and
advancement
 Scholarship and loan
repayment information
 Presentations on job
hunting, caring for the
underserved
Judd@pachc.org
717-761-6443, ext. 211