Redefining API community health centers’ role during these challenging times

By Fe Seligman

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the midst of a frail and receding economy, community health centers (CHC) are beginning to emerge as a powerful force in bringing systems reforms. Today, they are actively engaged in defining their participation towards developing and building the appropriate model that aims to establish a safety net for and provide quality care to everyone, even those without any resource to pay.

The Asian Pacific Islander community is no exception. Hosted by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), more than 500 API community health care providers and community advocates nationwide convened on February 23rd at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. to share their stories.

The stories were diverse and came from all levels: from topnotch public officials to grassroots leaders, volunteers, and consumers who found home in their own community health centers.

In all this, they testified that community health centers are evolving into a powerhouse of resources. Moreover, they have become leaders initiating policy and programmatic changes that directly benefit the grassroots community.  

What is a community health center? A community health center (CHC) is a federally funded health center or clinic that offers family-oriented, primary and preventative health care and related services for people living in medically under-served areas. These are administered by the Bureau of Primary Health Care within the Health and Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). They receive federal funding authorized under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. Currently, there are 1,200 CHCs, 125 look-alikes (those who do not receive federal dollars but are entitled to receive an enhanced reimbursement rate) with over 8,000 sites in the nation. CHCs operate and adhere under the stringent demands and surveillance of the federal government. They have played a critical role in providing services particularly to those who are unable to pay.

“In the face of these current challenges, community health centers not only serve those in need, but are also at the forefront of system reforms,” Jeffrey Caballero, Executive Director of the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) said. These reforms are aimed at leading the country “to lower costs, better care and better health.”

“No longer do we define health as the absence of disease,” Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said. “Instead, health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.” Hence, expectations of care are much higher; health standards stringent.

To ensure that the highest quality of standard of care is provided, the Obama Administration has allocated billions of dollars ($2.2 billion in 2010 plus $2 billion ARRA or stimulus funds) towards strengthening the infrastructure of community health centers.

“Health centers are no longer an after-thought,” Dan Hawkins, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Research of the National Association of Community Health Centers, said. “Health centers have provided quality health care services to more than 20 million Americans today.”

These include uninsured individuals, low-income families and children, rural Americans, farm workers and homeless persons.

Hawkins also reported that although CHC patients are poorer, more uninsured than the U.S. population and are more likely to have a chronic illness than patients of office-based physicians, CHCs are able to reduce these disparities through special and culturally competent programs specifically designed to meet their own target populations’ needs. CHC women, for instance, are more up-to-date with their mammograms and pap tests, and CHC patients have lower cases of low birth weights compared to the nation’s average.

Despite these success stories, there is more work to do. An example is the need to provide support and/or reimbursement on enabling services (ES). These are non-clinical services given to patients to enable them access care effectively. A good example is translation services.

A 2007 study funded by NHeLP and the Cal endowment showed that translation services account for an additional 15 minutes of staff time. When translated into costs, these unpaid hours cost the whole CHCs approximately $200 million/year. There is an ongoing effort to make a case for developing  a reimbursement system for this type of a service.

Called Access for all America, CHC advocates have developed a long-term plan and vision for legislature’s consideration to expand the role of CHCs nationwide. This includes: developing new CHC sites and expanding existing sites; increasing the healthcare workforce; increasing support for new facilities, equipment, HIT, and quality performance improvement; and maintaining public insurance as well as expanding its scope of services.

“The conference was inspiring and full of hope,” Gil Ontai, President of San Diego Pacific American Education Scholastic Fund and an agency partner of the San Diego API-Community Health Network said. “The Obama Administration is serious about reaching out to the API community and its health needs.”

Indeed, “the future is bright!’ Emmanuel Kintu, Executive Director of the Kalihi-Palama Center and Vice-President of AAPCHO Board of Directors said.

Kintu expounded the vast opportunity that the current political climate offers under its current administration to provide the grassroots community and CHCs the power to change the landscape of the overall healthcare industry. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )