Community health centers are local economic engines and cost-effective primary care providers

As the recession drags on and millions of people in the U.S. lack health insurance, there’s a community resource that extends primary care to them that’s not in a doctor’s office: it’s in Community Health Centers (CHCs). There are over 8,000 CHCs throughout the U.S., and 20 million people use them as medical homes — providing 25% of all primary care visits for low-income people in America.

At the same time, there are 60 million people in the U.S. who do not have access to primary care due to the maldistribution and shortage of primary care providers (PCPs). Access Endangered: Profiles of the Medically Disenfranchised, a report published by the National Association of Community Health Centers, details the growing challenge of filling the gap between the limited supply of PCPs and growing demand for their services.