Community health centers’ mission is to provide affordable care to all, regardless of income level or insurance status. They are governed by boards that include at least 51% patients, helping each center truly understand the needs of the communities they serve. The history of the health center movement that is rooted in equity, with a unique focus on the ability to address health disparities, are what motivated me to become involved in this work at the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC) — to support those who have been historically underserved or marginalized for a variety of reasons. We represent community health centers and their staff across the state of Texas, supporting them through training, technical assistance and guidance in both the clinical and policy spaces.
Findings from the most recent America’s Health Rankings® Annual Report that chronic conditions are at the highest level and gaps are widening among subpopulations are daunting, but not surprising. The patients we serve in Texas — predominantly communities of color, low-income individuals and uninsured populations — face a variety of barriers to accessing health services. The COVID-19 pandemic only added to these complications through unemployment, gaps in insurance coverage, deferral of preventive care, increased need for behavioral or mental health services and more.
Our members at TACHC and community health centers across the country have made huge strides in improving access to care, addressing social determinants of health (also called non-medical drivers of health) and reducing overall patient costs. However, we believe there is more work to be done, particularly for those with chronic conditions. TACHC aims to help members take a data-driven and patient-centered approach to identifying health needs across the state, evolving our programs and tackling health disparities.
In this way, our partnership with United Health Foundation has expanded access and improved health outcomes for individuals with poorly controlled diabetes, a challenge identified by Texas communities and by data sources like America’s Health Rankings. The partnership has also expanded our Optimizing Comprehensive Clinical Care program, now called the Quality Axis Program, which teaches health centers to simultaneously use data to drive better quality of care and advance patient-centered care practices.
When we have access to quality data, we can work together to address the pressing issues facing our communities. A collaborative, data-driven approach is the only way we’re going to create substantial change in improving chronic disease outcomes and reducing health disparities. I am proud of the work that TACHC and our member health centers have accomplished using public health data to address health equity and encourage others to use the insights from this report to drive change.