July 21: Federally Qualified Health Centers: Helping Underserved Populations

Medically underserved populations include our neighbors, coworkers, residents and migrants. Join us to discuss programs under the FQHC umbrella that seek to adderss the gaping holes in our nation's safety net.

We invite your calls and email with questions and comments.

Audio Archives

Guests

David Loxterkamp, MD Seaport Family Practice
Chris Huh, Eastern Maine Development Corporation - Migrant Services
Barbara Ginley, Executive Directore of the Maine Migrant Health Program - statewide primary care program for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. MMHP is an (FQHC) health center without walls providing a variety of mobile health services.

Background

FQHC programs include:

Community Health Centers which serve a variety of Federally designated Medically Underserved Area/Populations (MUA or MUP).
Migrant Health Centers which serve migrant and seasonal agricultural workers,
Health Care for the Homeless Programs which reach out to homeless individuals and families and provide primary and preventive care and substance abuse services, and
Public Housing Primary Care Programs that serve residents of public housing and are located in or adjacent to the communities they serve.[1]

FQHCs are community-based organizations that provide comprehensive primary care and preventive care, including health, oral, and mental health/substance abuse services to persons of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay.

FQHCs were originally meant to provide comprehensive health services to the medically underserved to reduce the patient load on hospital emergency rooms.Their mission has changed since their founding. They now bring primary health care to underserved/underinsured/uninsured Americans, including migrant workers and non-U.S. citizens. (Source: wikipedia, 2010)

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