Capital Link's Blog

Community health centers located in the wake of recent hurricanes may be in the process of assessing damage and making plans to rebuild. Determining where to start and how to finance repairs, replacements, or even relocation can be overwhelming, but health centers should be aware that they may be eligible for funding and assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Capital Link’s new resource, Hurricane Recovery Resources for Health Centers, provides guidance to health centers in need of disaster aid.

Capital Link’s resource has links to the necessary FEMA application documents, handbooks, and helpful websites, including updates from the state of Texas on public assistance process. It highlights, step by step, what to expect while working with FEMA, and what health centers can do to make the process easier. The document also reviews what FEMA may cover regarding cleanup, repairs, or replacement of facilities and equipment. Intended to help health centers through a difficult recovery process, the resource will be continuously updated as new information becomes available. As FEMA and the state of Florida assess damages and announce the disaster aid process, this document will be revised to reflect resources for health centers affected by Hurricane Irma, as well.

To access this new resource, please click here.

The Department of Health and Human Services has also issued draft guidance to help healthcare facilities with disaster planning and recovery. To learn more, please click here.

For more than 50 years, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have delivered comprehensive, high-quality preventive and primary health care services to patients regardless of their ability to pay. With revenues exceeding $21 billion in 2015, FQHCs constitute the largest network of primary care providers in the US and the second largest nonprofit health system, behind only Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. If FQHCs were listed on the Fortune 500, they collectively would rank #133, on a par with Staples and ahead of Whirlpool, Starbucks, Kraft Heinz and Facebook. However, as independently operated, locally-controlled nonprofit organizations, FQHCs focus on providing excellent care at the local level to their 24 million patients in the 9,800 urban and rural communities they serve.

The story of what health centers bring to their communities can be told along the following domains:

  1. Employment and Economic Impacts, using economic modeling software
  2. Savings to the Health Care System
  3. Access to Care
  4. Comprehensive Coordinated Care
  5. Preventive Care and Chronic Disease Management


Health centers are facing the prospect of a changing financial landscape. Now more than ever, there is a need to demonstrate the value health centers have on the communities they serve and communicate this impact. To illustrate the value and impact of health centers nationally, Capital Link has created the Value + Impact of Health Centers, an updated version of our Economic Impact Analysis. Click on the image below to view a sample of the infographic and supporting data report.

 

 

 
 

Capital Link’s customized Value + Impact of Health Centers is available for $2,000, discounted from $2,500. Order by March 17th for use at the NACHC Policy & Issues Forum.

To assist PCAs in advocacy efforts, we are also offering customized statewide and congressional district Value + Impact of Health Centers infographics and supporting data reports. Click here to view a sample of a statewide report. Interested PCAs should contact Steve Rubman, Director of Data & Information Systems, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 617-422-0350 for more information.

The health care landscape is evolving and changing, but patients will still need access to care and health centers will need to serve them. It is particularly important now for health centers to operate efficiently and effectively in order to weather whatever lies ahead. Capital Link has created a library of resources and tools to assist health centers in planning, whether the goal is growth, stabilization, or sustainability. Below are some strategies to consider and a collection of related resources available to health centers and PCAs.

 




Assess Your Financial and Operational Strength. The best way to prepare for tomorrow is to understand where you stand today by tracking performance and benchmarking results against peers and targets.

Related Resources, Services, and Programs:




Understand Your Market. Health centers should have an understanding of their communities and the unmet needs in order to identify opportunities for growth and better programs of care.

Related Resources and Services:





 Develop a Strategic Business Plan. The health centers most prepared to respond to changing conditions have developed a dynamic strategic plan that they use actively.

Related Resources and Services:




 Develop Your Leadership and Workforce. For the insight and agility to react to change, health centers need to have a strong board and staff. They also need to have the ability to support team-based care, recruit and retain providers, and establish project teams for expansion plans.

Related Resources and Services:




 Assess Your Capital Needs and Funding Sources. Understand your need for facilities and how to finance growth.

Related Resources and Services:




 Communicate Your Value. Now more than ever, it is imperative that health centers document and demonstrate the valuable impact they have on the communities they serve on national, statewide, and local levels.

Related Resources and Services:

More Articles ...

  1. New Markets Tax Credit Program Allocation Awards Announced
  2. Four Capital Link Readiness Program Participants Awarded Healthy Futures Fund Planning Grants
  3. New Resource on New Markets Tax Credit Program Extension
  4. Using Predictive Analytics to Drive Health Center Decision-Making
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