By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    You Probably Thought the Public Option Was Dead
    June 1, 2011
    Employers as Doctors
    July 9, 2011
    Pushback On My Medicare Proposals
    August 12, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Community Health Centers: Not Just a “Safety Net”
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Community Health Centers: Not Just a “Safety Net”
BusinessHospital AdministrationPublic Health

Community Health Centers: Not Just a “Safety Net”

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

What do you think when you hear the term “safety net provider?” It doesn’t make a very positive brand impression, does it? Trapeze artists are glad that there’s a safety net underneath them, but they sure as heck don’t want to fall into it. If they screwed up and landed there they wouldn’t go around telling all their friends how great it was. And there’s absolutely no chance they’d rather perform in the net than up above.

What do you think when you hear the term “safety net provider?” It doesn’t make a very positive brand impression, does it? Trapeze artists are glad that there’s a safety net underneath them, but they sure as heck don’t want to fall into it. If they screwed up and landed there they wouldn’t go around telling all their friends how great it was. And there’s absolutely no chance they’d rather perform in the net than up above.

I thought about this as I read Safety-Net Providers After Health Care Reform in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Here’s the bottom line: uninsured patients in Massachusetts who use community health centers tend to keep using them even after becoming insured. Why? Because the centers are convenient, affordable, and offer services beyond medical care. As the nation as a whole follows Massachusetts’ example and the number of uninsured falls dramatically, I suggest it’s time to stop thinking of and labeling these facilities as mere “safety nets” and start treating them as the prototypical patient centered medical homes that they are. Not only should we encourage newly insured patients to continue using community health centers, we should encourage traditional primary care practices to evolve toward the health center model.

My own primary care office in downtown Boston is a traditional one: cramped, unattractive, filled with paper records, limited in its hours, indifferent in its customer service and focused entirely on medical issues. The only ways you’d know it serves an upper middle class clientele is by its address and by viewing the people in the waiting room. Visit a typical community health center in Boston and you’ll see something much more dynamic, friendly, modern. and efficient. They have electronic medical records, friendlier administrative staff, and offer dental, vision and mental health care along with a variety of community oriented outreach services.

More Read

Using Medicare Data to Rate Physician Quality
Partnering to Improve Quality and Safety: A Framework for Working with Patient and Family Advisors
CMS Announces Win-Win to the Tune of $840 Million
Earthquake Underscores Value of Social Media During Emergencies
Medicaid Expansion a Real Budget-Buster

Community health centers have been “patient centered” since well that phrase became trendy. They attached themselves to the community and focus on serving the needs of the population. I spoke with a physician leader at a large health system that has both private practices and community health centers under its umbrella. She told me that there’s a major difference in how the physicians look at their work. When there’s a surplus within a private practice the physicians want to pay out bonuses. When a community health center has extra money, the staff look for opportunities to bolster the infrastructure and expand services. As a patient, which  attitude would you prefer?

I’m all for keeping a “safety net” in place, and community health centers should be proud to have that as part of their mission. But it’s time to shuck the “safety net” label and position health centers in the vanguard of primary care where they belong.


TAGGED:community health centershospitalspublic health
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Business

5 Effective Strategies to Help Grow Your Physical Therapy Business

February 2, 2020
BusinessPolicy & Law

Is Fee-For-Service the Problem?

March 29, 2012

Ventura County Operation Medical Shelter

July 19, 2011

Healthcare Market Consolidation is Shaped By Consumerism

February 1, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?