About National Health Center Week
Every August, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) sponsors National Health Center Week (NHCW) to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s 1,400 Community Health Centers (CHCs). National Health Center Week is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of Community Health Center staff, board members, and supporters who make it possible to provide quality, comprehensive healthcare services to more than 30 million patients across 14,500 communities annually.
Why is National Health Center Week observed in August?
Congress traditionally takes a recess in August allowing U.S. Representatives and Senators to return to their home states and congressional districts. This is normally the time just before final decisions are made regarding appropriations and a host of other issues that may affect Community Health Center programs and Members of Congress are eager to meet and hear from their constituents at public events. Also, August is an ideal time for health centers to reach families and children with health fairs, screenings, and back-to-school immunizations.
From the Health Resources & Services Administration: What is a Health Center?
“Health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver comprehensive, culturally competent, high-quality primary health care services to the nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families, including people experiencing homelessness, agricultural workers, residents of public housing, and veterans.
“Health centers integrate access to pharmacy, mental health, substance use disorder, and oral health services in areas where economic, geographic, or cultural barriers limit access to affordable health care. By emphasizing coordinated care management of patients with multiple health care needs and the use of key quality improvement practices, including health information technology, health centers reduce health disparities.”
From The American Presidency Project: Proclamation 10237—National Health Center Week, 2021:
“In 1965, our Nation launched its first community health centers to improve the lives and well-being of Americans regardless of their ability to pay. These health centers were a key component of President Lyndon B. Johnson's ‘Great Society’ series of policy initiatives to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, and today serve as the bedrock on which our public health system was built. Today, health centers are one of the largest health care providers in the country and provide high-quality affordable, accessible, and value-based primary health care services to 29 million Americans each year—approximately 1 in 11 people across the country. They have also been a vital part of our Nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of National Health Center Week, we recognize the importance of federally-supported health centers and the role they play as a beacon of strength, service, and care in our communities.”
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