During the election campaigns in the coming months, health care will undoubtedly come up. A significant movement to address the transportation, economic and sociocultural barriers to accessing care and improving the lives of Americans began nearly 60 years ago with the establishment of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which provide care to 31.5 million patients, or 1 in 11 people nationwide.

Florida is home to 54 Community Health Centers providing services to residents in every county while delivering care to more than 1.7 million patients through 7 million patient visits. During National Health Center Week, August 4-10, we shine a spotlight on innovative nonprofit health centers like Healthcare Network that reach medically underserved areas and populations.

Unfortunately, despite a distinguished record of providing high quality care, people sometimes misunderstand these centers and their benefits to communities and health.

Myth 1: Community clinics provide lower-quality health care than traditional facilities
Our patient outcomes equal or exceed those of other primary care providers. Community Health Centers like Healthcare Network offer a full array of primary care services, including dental, medical, mental health, x-ray, lab and access to prescription medications, often all provided in one location.

What’s more, we are at the forefront of an important health care trend by providing integrated mental and behavioral health services into our primary care. This means our team can more easily and seamlessly address both physical and mental health concerns, resulting in better health outcomes.

Recently, we launched Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT), expanding access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders. The goal of the program is to provide access to this essential treatment in a setting without the stigma linked to specialized addiction treatment centers. This will help patients with substance use disorders to decrease usage, mitigate adverse behaviors and enhance quality of life for them and their families.

Myth 2: Care is only for the uninsured
More than 100 million Americans are medically disenfranchised, which means they may not have access to primary care due to a shortage of providers in their community. Only 1 in 10 medically disenfranchised patients are uninsured. Children represent nearly a quarter of people without access to care.

For us, underserved means areas of Collier County lacking available health care services, including areas like Everglades City and the more rural parts of Collier County. Recognizing a need in Golden Gate, which was identified as one of the most underserved communities in health care for Collier County, we opened the Nichols Community Health Center in 2020.

In May, we broke ground for the construction of the Orangetree Community Health Center in the north-central region of Collier County. The $15-million, two story medical complex will ensure that more than 41,000 residents in the Orangetree area, including Golden Gate Estates, will have access to high-quality medical care. The once-rural region is now one of Southwest Florida’s fastest-growing areas, but it remains a “health care desert” without any health clinics or medical centers.

We accept out-of-area, out-of-town and visiting patients. We accept insurance and provide a sliding-scale fee based on income. It’s our mission to provide care to whoever needs it.

Myth 3: FQHC are government-run
We are a nonprofit organization that operates under the direction of a patient-majority governing board. As a result, we are an organization created by the community for the needs of the community.

We receive revenue from many sources including patient payments, commercial insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, foundations, donations and grants. Our center brings together philanthropy and public investment to benefit the community.

Myth 4: FQHCs don’t have specialized treatment or services
In addition to routine health, school and sports physicals, we provide specialized treatments and services. You can come to us to diagnose and manage chronic, major, and minor illnesses, receive prenatal care, and more.

We have over 400 doctors, nurses, dentists, behavioral health providers, pharmacists and support staff to serve the community. Each year these individuals provide accessible, affordable, quality and culturally appropriate care to more than 55,000 patients, including nearly half of the children in Collier County.

Myth 5: Community Health Centers don’t make a difference
We are poised to improve public health by reducing the burdens on hospital emergency rooms and providing services such as free immunizations for uninsured children. We lower the community’s health care costs, while improving the health of the community, providing jobs and tax revenue.

In addition, we are addressing the shortage of health care workers in Southwest Florida by helping to train workers locally.

In 2020, we created annual medical assistant and pharmacy technician training programs, and recently added phlebotomy training, offering paid training, benefits and paid time off that enable participants to become registered medical assistants, pharmacy technicians or phlebotomists.

In collaboration with Florida State College of Medicine (FSUCOM), Healthcare Network is developing a family medicine residency program. Also in the works is an Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry Program (AEPD) to launch in June 2025, where dental residents will also have training experience with Lee Health, specifically Golisano Children’s Hospital.

The truth? Nonprofit health centers like Healthcare Network are designed to act locally and remain agile, continually working to bridge gaps in care by expanding services to meet our community’s growing needs.

About the Author
Jamie Ulmer is President and CEO of Healthcare Network. He serves on the executive and chair committees for both the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and National Association of Community Health Centers. For information, visit healthcareswfl.org.