August 8, 2023
Community health centers (CHCs) provide fair access to health care for more than 30 million patients in the United States, serving as critical access points for preventive medical care, behavioral health care, dental care, and many other necessary services. As OCHIN celebrates National Health Center Week (NHCW) this week, we are proud to be a technology solutions and innovation partner to nearly 200 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and FQHC look-alikes, serving more than 5 million patients nationwide.
“Health centers are often the primary and, in many cases, the only affordable source of health care for people in rural and medically underserved parts of the country,” said Abby Sears, President and CEO of OCHIN. “OCHIN is honored to partner with health centers and hundreds of other organizations coast-to-coast that are committed to helping their communities achieve good health and well-being every day.”
OCHIN MEMBER HEALTH CENTERS
OCHIN MEMBER HEALTH CENTER PATIENTS
HEALTH CENTER PATIENTS NATIONWIDE
This NHCW, we celebrate the progress our members and partners have made in ensuring that everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their full health potential by leveraging OCHIN tools and technology to:
Expand access to preventive care services
- Black, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino patients who received care via OCHIN Epic at CHCs have the highest colorectal cancer screening rates
- Native American and Alaska Native patients who received care via OCHIN Epic at CHCs have the highest rate of hypertension control
- Hispanic or Latino patients who received care via OCHIN Epic at CHCs have the highest cervical cancer screening and childhood immunization rates
Increase patient engagement
- More than 1 million monthly telehealth visits enabled patients to connect with their providers virtually
- More than 1.1 million OCHIN network patients engaged in their own care by using MyChart through OCHIN Epic
Despite their measurable and enduring value to the health of our nation, CHCs continue to face critical challenges such as ongoing workforce shortages and financial uncertainty. That’s why OCHIN is leading workforce development initiatives to help rebuild, strengthen, and diversify the health care workforce. OCHIN continues to advocate for more stable funding through bi-partisan congressional support for reauthorization of the Community Health Center Fund and protection of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, while advancing more sustainable funding models to ensure health centers have a promising and resilient future.
This month, OCHIN will join health centers from around the country at the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Community Health Institute (NACHC CHI) on August 27-29 in San Diego, California. If you’re attending NACHC CHI, please visit booth 202 and explore how OCHIN’s advocacy, practice-based research, and solutions expertise can help expand and strengthen the circle of care in your community.
