Do you need medical care? A community health center could be an option. How to find one
Are you looking for a community health center?
The centers offer a variety of affordable primary and preventive care services to millions of people each year in the United States who have limited access to healthcare. Think of it like a one-stop shop for your essential medical needs:
People can get check-ups and see a doctor whenever they feel sick. They can get care for certain conditions such as asthma and diabetes, undergo health screenings and get immunized against COVID-19 and other viruses too. Dental, mental health and pharmacy services are usually available, too.
Anyone can get care at a health center, whether or not they have insurance, according to Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Patients pay for services based on income (also known as a sliding fee scale) and no one is denied care based on their ability to pay, the agency says.
The federal government has also tapped into health centers to help distribute free N95 masks to people during the COVID-19 pandemic because of their ability to reach underserved communities. Most health center patients are uninsured or publicly insured, are part of minority groups and are considered to be at the federal poverty level.
Here’s how to find a center near you:
How to find a community health center
The Florida Association of Community Health Centers has an online locator that lets you search for a health center by address, ZIP Code, center name or by county. Search results will include the center’s name, address, phone number, hours of operation and list of offered services.
TIP: If the locator doesn’t load, click “Show Search Criteria,” for it to appear.
Another option is to use the nationwide health center online locator that’s available through the Health Resources and Services Administration.This locator will let you search for a center anywhere in the United States. Use your device’s GPS to find a site or search by city, ZIP Code or address. You can also search by the center’s name.
Search results will include the center’s name and operator, address, phone number, how many miles away it is from you, and a link to get directions. You can also download a PDF listing the first 25 centers that appear in your search results.
Both locators include federally funded health centers and look-alike centers. Look-alike centers are health centers that don’t receive federal award funding and rely on other funds to operate such as Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and patient fees.
It’s worth noting not every center listed in the federal and Florida-specific locators may be participating in the free N95 mask distribution.
For a list of centers enrolled in the N95 mask rollout, visit the Health Resources and Services Administration website. Select retail pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Walmart are also offering free masks, while supplies last.
If you have questions about the nationwide locator, call the HRSA Contact Center at 877-464-4772 (TTY: 877-897-9910), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
