Community health centers play a crucial role in delivering primary health care to all populations, regardless of whether they’re uninsured or unfit to pay for medical services. The YouTube video “What is a Community Health Center” looks into the rise of community health centers over the years and how they’ve become such an invaluable part of local American communities.
In the mid-1960s, the first community health clinics, also known as neighborhood health centers, were established. Well-meaning physicians and medical professionals established them to provide free or low-cost health care to people in local communities who would otherwise have limited or no access to it.
Community health centers started with a focus on primary health care services but have evolved into being able to handle chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDs etc. Many community health centers now employ other health care specialists apart from physicians and nurses, such as dentists, psychiatrists, and laboratory and medical testing professionals.
In addition to providing health care, they provide jobs in the local communities they are situated in. Furthermore, they are controlled by a community board and receive funding from governmental and private sources.
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