Today’s patients have a lot of options when it comes to healthcare, and a lot of factors go into the choices they make. One such option is a community health center. This begs the question – why should patients choose a community health center? And how does knowing this help practices to market themselves accordingly to be of service in this space? Let’s take a look.
What is a Community Healthcare Center (CHC)?
Community healthcare centers are locally-owned, private, nonprofit organizations that deliver a wide range of services to patients in their community. These organizations provide comprehensive, high-quality care to patients regardless of their ability to pay for these services. CHCs are typically found in areas with a shortage of available medical services or where the poverty level is high. The goal of these organizations is simple; they exist to provide care to those who otherwise may not get it. They reduce the need for hospital and ER care, provide important care screenings and manage chronic illnesses, and improve the health status of communities that otherwise may struggle.
What are the benefits of a community healthcare center?
Again, CHCs improve access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare. They reach those who otherwise may not have access to quality care due to geography or financial reasons, or in many cases both. In doing so, CHCs address health disparities that exist within our country. Communities with higher levels of poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and other risk factors are at greater risk and typically don’t have the same access to care that other communities without these conditions have. This only makes matters worse, but CHCs work to create equality of care, reaching those who need it most.
By addressing these health disparities, CHCs effectively lower healthcare costs across the board. A large amount of healthcare spending goes to hospital and emergency department care. Often, individuals in areas without access to care, or those who are uninsured or underinsured, will go to the emergency room for situations where that may not be the best fit. There, they’re able to receive care, but often that care will go without being reimbursed. This isn’t done out of malicious intent, but out of necessity with no other options, and it drives the cost of healthcare up across the board. Just by being available, CHCs give individuals another option for care and reduce the need for unnecessary hospital visits.
Another benefit of community healthcare centers is the public health initiatives they enact. CHCs are integral in combating the opioid crisis and HIV epidemic. These organizations are uniquely able to address community care in such a way that they can make a real difference and see improvement on issues that affect public health as a whole.
Of course the biggest benefit is the improved health outcomes of the communities they serve. CHCs provide much needed care to those that wouldn’t have had access otherwise, and as such they change the course of history for these communities, giving a new opportunity to live healthier lives.
Community healthcare centers are one of the best tools our nation has to improve health outcomes overall by eliminating health disparities among affected communities. This is a special space to step into and these organizations deserve the best support they can get, such a strong PM & EMR package to streamline their workflow and allow them to focus on the community they’re serving. Henry Schein MicroMD Practice Management solution automates billing processes and revenue cycle management with intuitive scheduling, automatic eligibility verification, fast easy registration, robust billing features, and integrated collection tools, allowing CHCs to reimagine care delivery and the challenges they tackle every day. We also offer MicroMD EMR, our electronic medical record software that helps practices and health centers eliminate unnecessary paper, improve clinical productivity and enhance care for your patients. Integrated with your practice management system, MicroMD EMR improves accuracy and protects reimbursement, while also allowing organizations to participate in any regulatory program they may wish.
To get more information or get started, visit micromd.com or call 1-800-624-8832.
About the author,
Savanna Adams
Savanna is the Marketing Communication Specialist at Henry Schein MicroMD. She schedules emails to clients, prospects, and VARs, manages social media accounts, performs research, writes blogs and eBooks, and much more while helping to support the simple yet powerful MicroMD solutions.
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