CA Study: Community Health Centers Go Above and Beyond
Friday, August 10, 2012
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It's National Health Center Week, and California's Community Health Centers (CHCs) are taking center stage to showcase the ways in which they go beyond the traditional role of medicine.
CHCs not only treat all patients despite their ability to pay, but a Stanford University study finds they often provide better care than private practices.
Carmela Castellano-Garcia, president and CEO of the California Primary Care Association, says she isn't surprised by the findings.
"It's what we have been focused on: quality of care. It's what the federal government demands of the Community Health Centers and what we feel is critical for our patients. And it's wonderful to see that the data is supporting that."
The Stanford study's senior author says the results are especially encouraging since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) depends on the centers to provide services to the previously uninsured.
Castellano-Garcia points out that the ACA includes an $11 billion investment to expand CHCs, including more than $200 million that California has already received.
"This is very positive news for our health centers, that healthcare reform embraces them as a model and designates them to be health homes for future insured patients."
She adds that National Health Center Week has been a good way to spread the word about what the centers have to offer. The state's Community Health Centers currently provide services to 4.7 million Californians.
See the Stanford University School of Medicine study online at med.stanford.edu.
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