Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): Rural Health Research Products & Journal Articles

2023

Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Family Medicine Practices
Journal Article
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 10/2023
This study evaluated physician, practice, and community characteristics as health care system elements to determine the ability of a primary care practice to address social determinants of health.
Availability of Dialysis Facilities in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
This brief is one of a series of findings briefs documenting disparities in geographic access to health services for ZIP code tabulation areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic residents. The brief looks at the availability of dialysis providers in minoritized racial/ethnic areas.
Availability of Primary Care Safety Net Providers in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
This brief is one of a series of findings briefs documenting disparities in geographic access to health services for ZIP code tabulation areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic residents. This report looks at the distance to the nearest primary care safety net provider.

2022

Changes in Access to Nearest Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics Among Rural ZIP Codes That Did and Did Not Experience a Hospital Closure, 2006-2018
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 10/2022
This brief explores changes in geographic accessibility within rural ZIP codes throughout the U.S. to Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, between 2016 and 2018.
Changes in Access to Community Health Services Among Rural Areas Affected and Unaffected by Hospital Closures Between 2006 and 2018: A Comparative Interrupted Time Series Study
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 07/2022
In this article, investigators compared access to Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics by those in rural areas affected versus those in rural areas unaffected by hospital closures.
Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Trends in Mental Health Treatment Availability in Community Health and Community Mental Health Centers
Policy Brief
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 06/2022
This study shows how the supply of community mental health centers (CMHCs) and community health centers (CHCs) delivering mental health services changed from 2000 to 2019. While the supply of CHCs offering mental health services increased, the supply of CMHCs decreased.

2021

Identification of Rural Communities With Limited Access to Safety Net Healthcare Providers
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 07/2021
This fact sheet identifies rural U.S. counties with suboptimal access to safety net healthcare providers.

2019

Cost-Sharing as a Barrier to Accessing Care at FQHCs and RHCs for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 06/2019
The purpose of this study is to investigate cost barriers to accessing care at Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics for the rural Medicare population.
Identification of High-Need Rural Counties to Assist in Resource Location Planning
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 05/2019
To identify high-need, low-resource locations, we began by identifying counties that lacked safety-net providers. For the purposes of this analysis, we identified Medicare-certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Identification of High-Need Rural Counties to Assist in Resource Location Planning for Primary Care
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 05/2019
We examined simultaneously areas with poor health outcomes and limited access to primary care safety net settings. The combination of facility availability with health status indicators may help with identifying those areas in rural America that are in the greatest need of additional primary care resources.
Facility-Based Ambulatory Care Provided to Rural Medicare Beneficiaries in 2014
Chartbook
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 03/2019
This chartbook uses available Medicare claims data to describe facility-based (i.e., excludes private practitioners) ambulatory care provided to rural Medicare beneficiaries and includes claims, costs, and common diagnoses.

2017

Chartbook: Trends in Rural Children's Oral Health and Access to Care
Chartbook
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2017
Assessing progress at improving children's oral health requires examining trends to see whether rural disparities, if present, are being reduced. Our report uses data from the National Survey of Children's Health (2003, 2007, and 2011- 2012) to assess progress in access to oral health care, and perceived status of teeth among rural children.
Improving Rural Oral Health: Six States' Response to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Strategic Framework
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2017
The U.S. Public Health Service Oral Health Coordinating Committee published the Oral Health Strategic Framework 2014-2017. The framework includes 5 goals for advancing oral health in America. We explore how 6 states have responded to the Strategic Framework; specifically, how they address oral health inter-professional practice, and access to care.

2016

Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Beneficiary Assignment Update
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 06/2016
This brief updates Brief No. 2014-3 and explains changes in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Accountable Care Organization regulations issued in June 2015 pertaining to beneficiary assignment for Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs. Understanding ACO beneficiary assignment policies is dire in managing ACO providers and beneficiaries.

2015

Rural Provider Perceptions of the ACA: Case Studies in Four States
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 02/2015
This brief summarizes the perceptions from rural providers in four states regarding the early effects of the Affordable Care Act, including changes to patient populations, financial health, and capacity for rural hospitals and rural federally qualified health centers.

2014

Safety Net Clinics Serving the Elderly in Rural Areas: Rural Health Clinic Patients Compared to Federally Qualified Health Center Patients
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 05/2014
This brief, the third and final in a series on rural health centers (RHC), uses data from 2009 Medicare outpatient provider claims to look at clinic locations, number of beneficiaries served, and number of/cost per claim for each type of rural safety net clinic, as well as beneficiaries' ages, health problems, and distance traveled for care.

2009

Community Health Center and Rural Health Clinic Presence Associated With Lower County-Level Hospitalization Rates for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (Fact Sheet)
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2009
This study examines the contribution that community health centers and rural health clinics make to access to healthcare, as measured by rates of ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations.
Community Health Center and Rural Health Clinic Presence Associated With Lower County-Level Hospitalization Rates for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (Full Report)
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2009
Using data from eight states, this report examines the effect of the presence of a federally qualified community health center or rural health clinic within a county on population rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.

2007

Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey 2004: Results by Health and Human Services Regions and Health Center Geography
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2007
This report presents findings from the national study of health centers' staffing, recruitment, and retention. It provides information by Health and Human Services region, urban and rural geography, and national overall estimates.

2006

Registered Nurse Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2006
This project summary discusses the registered nurse vacancy rate in federally funded health centers, which varies by degree of rurality.
Results of the 2004 Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey for Health Centers: Analyses for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI States)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2006
This report presents a subset of the findings from the larger national study of Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) staffing needs of FQHCs located in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) overall and by urban and rural geography.
Shortages of Medical Personnel At Community Health Centers: Implications for Planned Expansion
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2006
Examines the status of workforce shortages that may limit Community Health Center (CHC) expansion by surveying all 846 federally-funded US CHCs that directly provide clinical services and are within the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

2005

Dentist Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2005
This project summary presents results for dentists from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). It provides information on dentist vacancy rates by rural and urban location and compares dentist vacancies to other healthcare provider vacancies at FQHCs.
Family Physician Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2005
This project summary presents results for family physicians from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The summary provides information on family physician vacancy rates by rural and urban location and compares family physician vacancies to other physician vacancies at FQHCs.

2004

Sustaining Community Health Services Over Time: Models From the Rural Health Outreach Grant Program
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2004
This paper discusses post-grant sustainability of services provided by recipients of Rural Health Outreach Grant Program projects.

2003

Emergency Department Use by Medically Indigent Rural Residents
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 07/2003
This report examined emergency department (ED) use, combining national data and South Carolina state data to estimate the uncompensated charges in rural EDs nationally and the ameliorating effects of rural community health centers on ED use by rural residents.

2002

The Role of Community Mental Health Centers as Rural Safety Net Providers
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2002
This paper investigates the extent to which those organizations formerly designated as community mental health centers currently act as a rural mental health safety net, e.g., provide mental health services for free or at reduced charges to rural populations not covered by public or private insurance or grants.

1996

Integrating Primary Care and Mental Health Services: Current Practices in Rural Areas
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 1996
This publication provides information on models for integrating mental health services in rural community health centers, viability of linkages between primary care and mental health providers, resources available, reimbursement, treatment philosophy, diversification, referral, and enhancement.