Nevada's Community Health Centers offer comprehensive one-stop services and a health care home for patients in their communities. CHCs provide more than just treatment for illness or episodic conditions.  Like all good family doctors, Community Health Centers provide ongoing care and health management for families and individuals throughout their lives. 

What are Community Health Centers?

Nevada's Community Health Centers (CHC) are private, not-for-profit, consumer-directed health care corporations which provide high quality, cost-effective and comprehensive primary and preventive care to medically underserved and uninsured people. This statewide network of safety net providers is primarily comprised of health centers which are supported by federal grants under the U.S. Public Health Service Act.  These community-based providers are also commonly referred to as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) because they meet rigorous federal standards related to quality of care and services, as well as cost, and they are qualified to receive cost-based reimbursement under Medicaid and Medicare law. 

Who governs Community Health Centers?

Nevada's Community Health Centers are community-based and governed by consumer boards which ensures accountability to their local communities and taxpayers. At least 51 percent of the health center board must be comprised of patients who utilize the health center’s services. Such boards also include local business, civic and community leaders and others who bring specific expertise and experience.  Such boards eliminate the "one-size-fits-all" mentality because they ensure that health center services are tailored to the unique needs of the community. 

Why are they called "Safety-nets?

Nevada Community Health Centers focus on wellness and early prevention – the keys to cost savings in health care.  Through innovative programs in outreach, education and prevention, health centers reach out and energize communities to meet urgent health needs and promote greater personal responsibility for good health. 

Community Health Centers provide access to health care for people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Health center services are not free. However, to ensure that income or lack of insurance is not a barrier to care, patients who are not covered by public or private insurance are charged on a sliding fee scale according to income. 

Community Health Centers fill critical gaps in health care. Health centers serve low-income working families, the uninsured, and other high-risk populations such as the homeless, the frail elderly, migrant farmworkers, isolated rural families including  women and children. They serve people who face barriers to care and whose unmet health needs represent a huge and growing cost to the nation.