Serving the Underserved

Amy Collier Carroll, Golden Valley Health Centers / Vice-President & Chief Communications Officer

A little-known fact about Golden Valley Health Centers (GVHC) is that we are part of the largest network of primary care providers in the nation, serving 30 million people per year. This national network of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) is more vital now than ever, particularly as the nation grapples with overlapping health, economic, and climate crises that are disproportionately impacting the underserved communities we care for and support.

As the need for our services continues to grow, health centers like GVHC are facing one of the most challenging and uncertain times in the past 50-years. In a matter of months, we are approaching the expiration of our federal funding while simultaneously navigating unprecedented workforce and infrastructure challenges.

We need our leaders in Congress to act swiftly in making critical investments in the Health Center Program. These critical investments will support community health centers like GVHC in sustaining essential operations, infrastructure, workforce, and innovation efforts.

Historically, Health Centers have seen strong bipartisan support from policymakers at the federal level. We have a proven track record and have been dependable, consistent stewards of taxpayer dollars for generations. We deliver quality health care services to 30 million patients each year with more than 90% of those patients living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line and nearly 70% uninsured or receiving Medi-Care.

Community Health Centers are good for the economy, saving taxpayers billions every year. Every dollar invested in health centers has returned value to American taxpayers. The program generates annual system-wide savings of $24 billion annually because fewer health center patients require emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Nationally, health centers employ 250,000 people annually and save the health care system $24 billion each year. Here in the Central Valley, GVHC employs more than 1,000 individuals and serves as the health care home to 140,000 patients.

What makes our work impactful and unique is that our governance model, commitment, and approach to caring for the community is grounded in being responsive to the shifting demographics and cultural identities represented in our community.

We don’t just serve this community; our providers, staff, and even our board members live in and are a part of the community. That same consumer majority board of directors helps to inform the true needs and challenges that exist within the community for our patients. Under their leadership, and with ongoing community engagement and input, we innovate constantly to provide programs and tailored services to our patients.

At GVHC we stretch limited resources to ensure our patients have access to services that keep them and their families healthy and thriving. We are proud of the legacy we’ve built over the past 50 years as a local health equity hub, but we also know there is much more to be done.

Today, the unfortunate reality is that health centers across our country are operating within a cycle of uncertain funding which wreaks havoc on operations, recruitment and retention, and overall solvency. Additionally, our workforce—comprised of members of the very communities we serve—has been on the frontlines throughout more than two years of historic challenges to our health care system.

Community Health Centers save lives and provide high-quality care to all patients. Research shows that health centers improve health outcomes, and narrow health disparities, even while serving more highrisk, low-income patients. Despite serving patients with a higher prevalence of chronic disease and socioeconomic disadvantages, health centers perform as well as or better than other healthcare settings on diverse measures of access and quality of care. Health center patients experience fewer low birth weight babies, have healthier pregnancy outcomes, higher immunization rates and reduced infection and death rates from COVID-19, and improved measures on hypertension and diabetes. Health centers are transparent, trusted, and essential stewards of public health. We go the distance to serve the underserved.