Community Health Centers

 

The Full form of CHC is Community Health Centers. CHCs are private, non-profit entities that deliver health care services based on consumer participation and influence. Typically, CHCs provide primary and preventive care to medically underinsured, uninsured and low-income group people. Community Health Centers also provide basic healthcare facilities to those living in areas where little access to primary health care is available. In the East and Central Europe, bigger Health Care Centers are commonly called policlinics. CHC is staffed by a group of general practitioners and nurses providing healthcare services to people in a certain area. Typical services covered by CHCs are family practice and dental care, but some clinics have expanded greatly and can include pediatric, internal medicine, women’s care, pharmacy, family planning, optometry, laboratory testing, and more. The intent of CHCs differs from other health care clinics in several ways. In addition to the health of individual patients, these centres are mandated to improve the health status of the entire community. CHCs provide services that are accessible to their target group of people and coordinated and comprehensive with other community services. Community Health Centers are accountable to the communities they serve and only the members of the community are involved in program planning and organizational governance.