For more information on a few of the advantages that students and candidates should consider for working at a Community Health Center, please scroll down or click link below:
Community Health Centers serve all patients regardless of their ability to pay and provide services to the most medically vulnerable populations in our communities. Community Health Centers allow physicians, dentists, nurses, and other professionals to fully realize why they got into health care to begin with: to treat patients in need of care!
For more details, please link to DPH CHC Overview: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3138&q=404892
Commitment to Clinical Quality
The Health Disparities Collaboratives mission is to improve access to high quality primary and preventive care for the uninsured, underserved, and special needs population – most of whom receive their care at a Community Health Center. Funded by the Federal government, the health disparities goal is to eliminate health disparities and improve functional and clinical outcomes. Every eligible CHC in CT participates in at least one disease collaborative, including those focusing on diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, and prevention.
Most Community Health Centers are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). JCAHO accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates a CHC meets high performance standards.
For more details, please link to: BPHCA Health Disparities Collaboratives: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/policy/pin0212.htm
Support Network of Clinical Colleagues
The Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, established in 1989, serves a leading role in providing information about the high-quality health services and programs available through community heath centers. As part of their primary focus of educating the public, health policy makers, and health care providers, they offer trainings, resources, and educational programs. In addition, the association serves as a forum in which member centers can exchange information and solve mutual problems. The Community Health Center Association of Connecticut also serves as the lead agency to 10 states in the Health Disparities Collaboratives’ (HDC) Northeast Cluster, working with over 104 community health centers in the Northeast to implement the HDC to improve patient outcomes and the quality of care to people with chronic disease.
The Community Health Center Association of Connecticut links the community health centers to a regional practice-based research network, called the New England Clinicians Forum’s (NECF) Practice-Based Research Network. The Mission of the NECF is to promote research that will improve the quality of care for patients/populations served by member clinicians.
For more details, please link to the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut website: http://www.chcact.org
Growing Need for CHC Professionals
Finding and keeping good clinicians rate high on the priority lists of most Community Health Centers. With Federal and State initiatives to increase access to primary care through the expansion of community health centers, an increase in the number of physicians and other health care professionals will be required to care for the CHC patients. Where the “business” of a CHC is providing excellent patient care, quality clinicians are obviously crucial to the success of the health center. With over 100 community health center sites located in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in CT, the number of people that require care is far greater than the current supply of health professionals. It is encouraged that Health Professional students give serious thought and consideration in working at a Community Health Center. There are several good resources to find additional information about possible employment opportunities at CHCs.
For more details, please link to the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut website: http://www.chcact.org National Association of Community Health Centers website: http://www.nachc.com National Health Service Corps website: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/about/ HRSA, Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program website: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm
If you like to help people, enjoy new challenges every day, and want to join one of the fastest growing areas of the economy, consider a career in health care.
Health care is the second-fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy, employing over 12 million workers. With the advances in medicine, and the country’s aging population, there is an increasing demand for health care professionals. This demand is expected to continue for a full 50 years!
Healthcare professionals can work in a variety of settings including individual and group practices, hospitals or long term care facilities. Healthcare professionals can also work in a community-based practice such as community health centers, school-based health centers or local health departments.
A career in healthcare offers many rewards. They include:
· Touch Lives – Make An Impact!
Health care professionals can change lives, from caring for an individual through life saving interventions to caring for a community through treating diseases and ailments of all sorts.
· Jobs Are Available for All Education and Experience Levels
Whether you have a GED or PhD, there is an exciting career available to you. By working in a community-based practice setting, you are able to qualify for financial assistance through the: Connecticut State Loan Repayment Program, National Health Services Corps, and Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.
· Competitive Earning Potential
A health care career can be extremely rewarding and often lucrative. Salary and benefit packages are competitive.
· Never a Dull Moment
Healthcare is exciting, fast-paced and ever-changing. New patients come in everyday, some in life or death situations, so you will never experience the same day twice.
Potential Scholarship and/or Loan Repayment Funds
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a federal program that provides scholarships or repays the educational loans of primary care physicians and other health care providers (nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists and hygienists, mental health professionals and certified nurse midwives) who agree to serve a minimum of two years in a federally designated health professional area (HPSA).
The Connecticut State Loan Repayment Program (CSLRP) is a federal-state partnership, initiated through the Department of Public Health (DPH), that provides student loan repayments to health professionals who agree to work for a minimum of two years in a federally designated health professional area (HPSA).
All Community Health Centers are automatically located in HPSAs by the nature of being a Federally Qualified Health Centers. While no CHC can promise loan repayment, the chances of receiving loan repayment when working at a CHC are much higher than at other types of health care sites.
For more details, please link to the DPH, Connecticut State Loan Repayment Program website: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3137&q=388042 National Health Service Corps website: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/about/ HRSA, Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program website: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm.
Professional Medical Malpractice Costs Covered
Health Centers that receive federal funds under Section 330 of the PHS Act are eligible for medical malpractice liability protection through the Federal Torts Claim Act (FTCA). Under the Act, any health center officer, governing board member, employee, or eligible contractor are considered federal employees immune from suit with the Federal government acting as their primary insurer. To be covered by the FTCA, a Health Center must apply to HRSA and be designated a “deemed” organization.
For more information on Federal Torts Claims Act and Medical Malpractice Liability Protection, please link to the HRSA, BPHC: Federal Tort Claims Act homepage: http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov/ftca
Recruiting foreign medical graduates is another way that underserved communities can meet their healthcare workforce needs. Many foreign medical graduates come to the United States on a J-1 Visa to pursue graduate medical education. Upon completion of their residency programs, they are required to return to their country of legal residence for at least two years. The J-1 Visa Waiver Program allows foreign medical graduates to obtain a waiver of the two-year home residence requirement provided they agree to work full-time as a primary care provider for three years in a HPSa or MUA/P.
For more information on J-1 Visa Waiver program, please link to the DPH Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) webpage: http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3138&q=388118 or US Dept. of State: Visa webpage: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html