Health Center Community Engagement Structure for Strategy in Equity and Excellence
Health Center Community Engagement Structure (HCCES) for Strategy in Equity and Excellence
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care by strengthening the healthcare workforce, building healthy communities, and achieving health equity. HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) administrates and oversees the Health Center Program (HCP). BPHC provides federal funds to health centers through the HCP in underserved communities to increase access to comprehensive, culturally competent, and high-quality primary and preventive health care. BPHC’s Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD), the organizational center for programs and policies, provides strategic guidance on developing primary care programs, including health centers, special population programs, and other health systems. Longstanding health inequities coupled with pandemic-related disruptive events present an urgency for health centers to re-examine and evolve how they serve the communities in greatest need across the United States.
ATW Health Solutions has established and implemented a Health Center Community Engagement Structure (HCCES) to serve as the primary vehicle for engaging and elevating the voices and experiences of those directly impacted by the health center program. Using a health equity lens, the HCCES will inform the recommendations for BPHC’s 2035 strategic planning for policy, program, and investment decisions. The outcomes of BPHC 2035 will allow BPHC to prepare health centers better to meet future public health needs with a focus on community input in response to:
Systemic challenges
Preparation for emerging trends
Advancement of health equity
Guidance for health centers to increase access to high-quality care, regardless of ability to pay
