America’s Voice for Community Health Care

The NACHC Mission

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) represents Community, Migrant, and Homeless Health Centers, as well as Public Housing Primary Care Programs and other community-based health centers.

Founded in 1970, NACHC is a nonprofit organization providing advocacy, education, training and technical assistance to health centers in support of their mission to provide quality health care to underserved populations.

Health Centers at a Glance

• Located in or serve a high need community• Provide comprehensive primary care and supportive

services• Serve all who seek care, regardless of ability to

pay• Governed by community board with majority of

members HC patients• Meet performance and accountability requirements• Design services to meet the needs of their

community

Health Centers at a Glance

• 1,200 community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health center organizations with more than 7,000 sites

• Over 117,500 FTEs• Provide quality care for $1.55 per patient per day

($562 annually)

Data source: Uniform Data System – 2006; National Association of Community Health Centers - 2007

Health Center Services Include:

• 12-step programs• AIDS family social services• Breast-feeding classes• Cancer, health screenings• Case management• Childbirth classes• Dental care• Diabetes management• Domestic Violence prevention• Early education supports• Family planning• Flu clinics• HIV education/prevention

• Homeless support services• Immunizations• Mental health counseling• Migrant healthcare• Neonatal home visits• Nutrition counseling• Nutritional assessment• Pharmacological screening• Prenatal care• Primary care• School based clinics• Senior abuse screening• Substance abuse counseling• Substance abuse referrals

About Our Patients

• As of February 2009, 18 million patients with nearly 71 million patient visits

• 91.4% of patients fall below 200% FPL• Racial and ethnic minorities comprise almost 2/3 of

our patient population*• 38.9% are uninsured; 35.4% have Medicaid or

another public insurance coverage• 26.9% of patients report being best served in a

language other than English*

Data sources: Uniform Data System – 2007; National Association of Community Health Centers – 2008; *www.bphc.hrsa.gov

The Impact of Health Centers

• Improve access to primary and preventative care• Cost effective care• High quality care• Reduction in Health Disparities• Effective management of chronic illness• Improve birth outcomes• Create jobs and stimulate economy

Importance of Planning for Health Centers

• Serve as advocates for medically underserved• Mission driven organizations – serve their

communities• Closely linked with hospitals and health departments• Financially lean – need fast recovery• Historical roles in emergencies – patients WILL seek

care from their health center • Accreditation requirements• HRSA Expectations

Potential Roles in Emergency Management

• Provide services to CHC patients• Increase ER Surge Capacity – on & off site • Triage patients• Provide mental health services • Disease or syndromic surveillance• Serve as conduit of information to patients and community• Outreach to hard to reach populations• Mobile clinics• Provide culturally competent, linguistically able

provider/support staff• Distribute medications or vaccines to patients, staff,

community members (PODs)• Provide medical/dental/MH staff for alternate care sites

Past Experience in Emergencies

• Treatment of respiratory and eye irritation in New York, New Jersey, and Washington DC following Sept. 11 attacks

• Diagnosis and treatment of first monkeypox victims in Wisconsin and Illinois

• Treating storm related injuries and administering tetanus and hepatitis after Hurricane Katrina

• Treating patients at community shelters and dispatching mobile clinics in CA during wildfires in 2003 & 2007

• Augment staff in ER and Medical Care Shelters in KY following tornados in Feb 2008

• Provide health care to flood ravaged communities in Iowa Floods in June 2008

• Response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in September 2008

Integration Efforts

• Participation in TopOff 3• EMS Utilization Project• Stockpile Drug Rotation• Shelter support• SNS asset distribution• Patient education

Involving CHCs

• Reach out!

–Work with CHC to determine best role in community response

–Recognize strengths in community and limits in staffing and facility

–First commitment is to patients

• Contact State Primary Care Association

–http://www.nachc.com/nachc-pca-listing.cfm

Questions?

Mollie Melbourne, MPH, MEPDirector of Emergency Management

National Association of Community Health Centersmmelbourne@NACHC.com

(203) 256-2773 Direct