Health Centers

In Southeast Kansas, 9-year-old Michael was carried into the Community Health Center dental clinic with a high fever and almost unbearable pain. He hadn't eaten solid food in weeks—the lunch ladies at his elementary school had been fixing him oatmeal to make sure he had nourishment.

He was within hours of being admitted to a hospital, but his problem was obvious to the Health Center Staff. He had an abscessed tooth. He was immediately given a large dose of antibiotics and the tooth was extracted. His relief was instantaneous.

In Lima, Ohio, a woman named Jill learned she had Hepatitis C. And while she understood that it could be treated, she had no insurance and no way to pay for her medication. But the Allen County Health Partners, a HRSA-supported Health Center, told her it could help. With prescription assistance and maintenance care, Jill is now able to treat her disease and live a normal life.

A small miracle for Jill, it's a familiar story for the nation's 1,128 health centers with more than 8,500 sites across America.

Few things are as frustrating as being sick and unable to get care because you just don't have the money. But at HRSA-supported Health Centers, you pay what you can afford, based on your income.

Health Centers provide comprehensive, high-quality medical, dental and mental health care. They help women deliver healthy infants, immunize children, enable teenagers to manage their asthma, keep people with diabetes well.

Learn more: The Health Center Program

Did You Know?

Health Centers care for

20.2 million people
36 percent of whom have no health insurance
93 percent of whom live below 200 percent of poverty

Next Steps

Primary Care: The Health Center Program

What is a Health Center?

Find a Health Center For Care You Can Afford

Primary Care Home

Open Funding Opportunities

Fact Sheet

The following is a H R S A flash movie. The movie contains a link to http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/ where you can search for health centers by location.