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Healthy Living Blog: What Are Your Community Health Resources?

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Healthy Living Blog: What Are Your Community Health Resources?

Healthy Living Blog: What Are Your Community Health Resources?

Happy National Health Center week! This week is dedicated to raising awareness about and celebrating the work of community health centers across the country over the past five decades. As one of many community health centers serving Santa Clara County, we at AACI are proud to play our part in ensuring our communities have a safe, affordable, and welcoming place to access healthcare, behavioral health, and wellness services from providers who understand their language along with the challenges they face. 

So, what makes a community health center unique?

Community health centers are the backbone of primary care in the United States. Unlike big hospitals and private practices, health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations dedicated to delivering comprehensive, affordable, culturally-competent, and high-quality primary health care services to communities, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. These centers are also sometimes called Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), and receive federal funding to provide a range of services from preventative care to dental services, behavioral health, and some specialty care. FQHCs, such as AACI, are important to our healthcare system because they provide a way to access essential health services for those who may face barriers such as lack of health coverage, distance, cultural sensitivity, and/or language access. Health centers are vital to keeping our communities healthy. 

Do you know all your Federally-Qualified Community Health Center resources?   

There are a variety of resources and important bits of information about Federally-Qualified Health Centers that can help you. Did you know that FQHCs… 

  • Serve everyone regardless of a person’s ability to pay, their insurance status, or their housing situation? 
  • Provide healthcare regardless of immigration and citizenship status?
  • Provide services and multiple languages?
  • Increase access to behavioral and mental health services with psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers?  
  • Provide access to free vaccines for uninsured adults and children? 
  • Have a variety of health education programs and prevention services?

Santa Clara County’s Primary Care Access Program (PCAP) 

Starting in 2016, Santa Clara County established the Primary Care Access Program (PCAP) for residents to obtain primary care coverage for those who are not eligible for other health insurance options. It is important to note that PCAP is not health insurance, but rather a health coverage program for low-income, uninsured adults. Through PCAP, enrollees receive their preventive and primary care at a community clinic. 

To find out more about Santa Clara County’s PCAP, check out this link: https://vhpn.sccgov.org/pcap 

Have health concerns?

Please reach out to our Health Center and make an appointment with one of AACI’s healthcare providers. AACI provides services in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and many other languages. Call (408) 975-2763 to schedule your appointment today!

Disclaimer: The information provided by the Healthy Living Blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of consultation with your physician.