The Missouri Primary Care Association (MPCA) is a nonprofit corporation founded in November 1984 as an alliance of Community and Migrant Health Centers. The Association functions as an advocacy voice for the medically indigent, and explores and implements activities aimed at providing and promoting high quality, accessible, and personalized health care services to urban and rural populations (regardless of ability to pay) in the state of Missouri. Another objective of the Association is to guarantee the voice of the community in local health care delivery. As such, the Association actively involves consumers and providers of primary care services with governmental agencies that plan for delivery of primary health care. The Association’s mission is to be Missouri's leader in shaping policies and programs that improve access to high-quality, community-based, and affordable primary health services. What began as an experiment in community health care has evolved into a network of 21 Community and Migrant health centers in both urban and rural Missouri with more than 120 comprehensive, community-based health centers that serve nearly 310,000 patients in 1.1 million encounters in 2006. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors (composed of representatives from each Community or Migrant Health Center) with guidance and funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care, the National Health Services Corps, and the Missouri Department of Health and the Missouri Department of Social Services. Description of Federally-Funded Health Centers Today there are more than 900 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) providing health care to more than 10 million patients through a nationwide network of 2,500 centers or delivery sites. They include Community Health Centers, Migrant Health Centers, Homeless health Center, and Urban Indian and Tribal Health Centers, which meet Federal standards, related to quality, cost and oversight. Government figures show that there are approximately 44 million people in the U.S. who live in areas defined as medically underserved. Residents of these areas suffer higher instances of illness and infant mortality. They are poorer and more elderly, and they lack access to adequate health care because there are no doctors, nurses or other health professionals to serve them. Health Center patients are men, women, and children from all walks of life who have fallen through society's safety net. Approximately 40% of the centers and patients served are in urban areas, while 60% are in rural areas or smaller communities. Health Center Programs were created and sustained by Congress to meet the health care needs of underserved communities and high-risk patients. Their focus is on primary care, prevention, education, and case management. Patients are billed on a sliding fee scale so that income or insurance status are not barriers to care. Federal grants are available to centers to help cover the cost of serving the uninsured. Location, hours of operation, staff, and programs are tailored to the special needs of the community. These standards are in addition to any state or local licensure requirements and are unique in the health industry. While they may appear overly stringent, these standards are useful in establishing acceptable practice norms, accounting to Congress and the U.S. taxpayer. In fact, Health Center standards are among the highest in the industry. Health Centers are tested models of community-based care. They are partnerships of people, government, and communities working together to improve the health status in the community. Qualified How?
About MPCA • Find a Community Health Center • Membership Information • Legislative Activity |