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
    health coach
    Health Accountability Coach: Your Partner for Lasting Wellness
    July 25, 2024
    How Dr. Brian Richardson Diagnoses Urinary Tract Disorders
    Understanding Urodynamic Testing: How Dr. Brian Richardson Diagnoses Urinary Tract Disorders
    December 2, 2024
    medication suppliers
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 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
    A New Call-to-Action: Strong Is the New Skinny!
    January 23, 2013
    Raise Medicare Age? That’s Cost Shifting, Not Cost Saving
    February 28, 2012
    Image
    Low Teen Birth Rates and Universal Health Care
    April 3, 2013
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 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

I’ll Believe This When I See It, and Other News
6 Tips for Healthcare Recruiting Success
Hospital Marketing and Ebola: Communication and Education Needed
Should Physicians Profile Our Patients?
A New Call-to-Action: Strong Is the New Skinny!

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

car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025

You Might also Like

Sovaldi: An Example of Price Discrimination

March 30, 2015

8 Writing Tips for Healthcare (Even If You’re Not a Writer)

November 1, 2017
rash caused by drug
BusinessHospital AdministrationPolicy & LawPublic Health

Medical Complications Torture Doctors, Too

September 25, 2014
domestic violence program
Public HealthWellness

DOVE Program at Northwest Hospital Helps Families Overcome Domestic Violence

April 11, 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?