Health Centers Face Staff Shortages, More Patients

Written By Sara Bolnick

MNACHC CEO report - The Commonwealth Fund released a new survey of health centers finding that staffing shortages are worsening at the same time that patient demand for care is increasing.

Other findings from the survey include:

  • Nearly all community health centers offer timely appointments (88%) and expanded hours for patients to receive care (93%). Rural community health centers are more likely to offer timely appointments (93%) than urban community health centers (86%).

  • Most offer telehealth services in 2024 (96%), almost four times as many as in 2018 (24%).

  • Significantly more community health centers have made substance use disorder treatment (66%) and medication-assisted treatment (62%) available to patients in 2024 compared to 2018.

The Commonwealth Fund called on policy makers to:

  • Reauthorize the Community Health Center fund

  • Grow the community health center workforce through the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Center Granduate Medical Education program

  • Support the provision of telehealth

  • Engage CHCs in payment reform

Sara Bolnick

Sara Bolnick is the Communications & Partnerships Director at the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC).

https://www.mnachc.org
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