What is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)?
FQHCs are community health centers established in 1965 to provide access to care for all, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. They provide primary, preventive, and dental care, as well as mental health, substance use disorder, weight management, nutrition, eye care, and other community-based services to anyone in need. In Massachusetts, 52 community health center organizations provide high-quality healthcare to more than 1 million patients across 285 sites statewide. That’s one out of every nine people in the state!
In 1965, the nation’s first community health center opened its doors in Boston, Massachusetts. Until that time, health services for low and moderate-income people in inner city areas and isolated rural communities were nowhere to be found. In response, community members organized around the need to bring primary care to their neighborhoods. Insisting that they have a voice in how and what care should be delivered to the community, boards of directors that included a majority of health center consumers were incorporated into the model. Today, health center patients continue to drive the mission and work of community health centers.
In addition to providing comprehensive health services to our populations, health centers are at the forefront of addressing some of the most vexing problems in our health care system, including expanding access to health insurance coverage for low-income residents and supporting the whole health of our communities.
Community health centers are receiving increasing attention as a solution to reduce health care costs and ensure quality in Massachusetts and across the nation. Community health centers excel at providing preventive care and chronic disease management in lower-cost community settings. These savings are passed on to the state’s Medicaid program and other insurers. In 2023, Massachusetts community health centers contributed more than $2.8 billion in direct economic impact and supported more than 18,000 jobs.