The Future

Why Community Health Centers are the Future of Health Care

comprehensive, integrated, holistic care

Community Health Centers provide comprehensive and coordinated services that put the patient and her family at the center of the care process. A personal physician and a health care team works together with the patient and family to reduce barriers and improve health outcomes. In this way,  Community Health Centers approach health care from a more holistic perspective that promotes prevention, wellness, and care coordination.

Over 75% of Hawaii CHCs have been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), signifying their commitment to providing better care and improving patient health. The PCMH is also at the heart of Medicare and Medicaid transformation and is seen as one of the solutions to the crisis in our health care system.

innovation that improves health and reduces cost

Health centers are already one of the most efficient providers of health care, saving the Medicaid system in Hawai‘i more than $128 million a year while providing high quality services to their patients. For the past ten years, health centers have been focusing on the efficient management of chronic illnesses through a nationwide quality improvement collaboration with thousands of participating centers. This collaboration allowed health centers to develop some of the most advanced medical practices now being promoted to reduce costs and improve population health.

Unlike most private physicians, Community Health Centers:

• Employ a team of health care professionals to coordinate care between their primary physicians and other providers like specialists, mental health professionals, and dentists.

• Have relationships with other community providers and organizations, reducing barriers to care for their patients.

• Use state of the art electronic health records that allow them to coordinate care, track health outcomes, and take better care of their patients.

• Have comprehensive disease management and prevention programs that help educate patients and families.

• Provide a full array of services that include diagnostic services and prescription drugs.

As private physicians and the rest of the health care system begin the transition to this new model of care, Community Health Centers are already there, providing the quality health care services that are at the future of health care.