WHAT IS AN HCCN

Minnesota's Community Health Centers are part of a national movement of non-profit, community-directed providers of primary care, which may include pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, dentistry, behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, and school-based health.  Specialty services may also be provided as needed by their communities.

 

Community Health Centers are open to all patients, insured or not, but they strive to make health care available to all by removing barriers to care by serving those who otherwise confront financial, geographic, language, cultural, and other barriers.

 

Also known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), they:

• are located in federally-identified high-need areas;

• are open to all residents, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay;

• are non-profit 501(c)3 organizations managed by a self-nominated, consumer-majority Board of Directors;

• tailor services to fit the special needs and priorities of their communities, and provide services in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner;

• provide comprehensive primary and other health care services, including services that help their patients access care, such as transportation, translation, or case management;

• provide high-quality care, reducing health disparities and improving patient outcomes; and

• are cost-effective, reducing costly emergency, hospital, and specialty care, and saving the health care system $24 billion a year nationally.

 

The Federal Urban Health Network (FUHN) is the membership organization of some of Minnesota’s Community Health Centers. Our Mission is to sustain Minnesota Community Health Centers and their capacity to provide quality patient services, to institute best practices, and to pursue continuous improvement. As of January 2018, FUHN member organizations served more than 100,000 patients at more than 30 clinic sites, including school-based clinics.