Community Development  


Community Development at the Missouri Primary Care Association (MPCA) focuses on helping Missouri communities ensure primary health care access for everyone. The philosophy of the MPCA is that this process should begin with the community.

Every health care service provided locally benefits a community by improving the health of citizens, and enhancing the community’s economic development.

People often believe that everyone in the community has access to health care since there are doctors practicing in the community, and in some communities there are hospitals as well. However, these health care providers may not be able to fully meet the needs of all citizens, particularly those individuals and families who are underinsured, uninsured, or uninsurable. Whether the barriers to access are caused by cost, inconvenient hours, inaccessible locations, or language, many people do not have access to primary health care. In order to assess primary care access issues in a community, it may help to ask some of the following questions.

  • Availability of practitioners: Are there enough health care providers? Are there enough providers who accept Medicaid and uninsured populations?
  • Accessibility of these providers: How easy is it to get an appointment? How many days in the future must one schedule?
  • Affordability of care provided: Can uninsured and Medicaid patients afford the care?
  • Acceptability of care provided: Is the care provided of good quality? Do community members have confidence in the providers?
  • Accommodation of patients’ needs: Are special needs being met (e.g. the needs of the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and those who are not English speakers)?


Community Discussions:

The MPCA can help a community come together to discuss primary care, dental, and mental health needs.

The MPCA community development process is used to:

  • Increase awareness and build support for the health issues in a community
  • Increase awareness and build support for existing health resources
  • Create a forum to explore the opportunities for health system level collaboration and relationship development
  • Establish a sense of hope that health issues could be addressed, and that the community leaders and local health providers understand and support an improved health model
  • Gather strategy components for improving health status and the health system (i.e., recruitment and retention of providers, and community awareness of and requirements for a Community Health Center)

Potential outcomes and benefits to a community can include:

  • increased knowledge, and strengthened relationships;
  • insight about the resources available through federal, state, and local partners; and
  • national recognition for the community’s health improvement efforts.

An MPCA community development report could be used to:

  • Reconvene community leaders, providers and consumers to share results
    and continue community dialogue
  • Increase awareness of community health issues and community health
    status improvement activities
  • Facilitate a team building exercise
  • Build relationships between external agencies and organizations
  • Incorporate information into an already existing community health status
    improvement initiative
  • Organize a community coalition to address issues raised in the report

As a result of holding community discussions, the community may decide to try to start a Community Health Center or approach an existing Community Health Center with the idea of expanding. Community Health Centers (CHCs), also known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), are non-profit, community owned and operated facilities. CHCs provide primary care, dental and mental health services to anyone, regardless of ability to pay. The FQHC designation enables them to receive funds which allow the Community Health Center to see a disproportionate share of the uninsured and Medicaid population.

This is the beginning of an exciting time for communities. The MPCA is available to help communities to improve access to health care and reduce disparities. For questions or to learn more about how the MPCA can help a community address primary care, dental and mental health access issues, contact:


Alan Stevens, Deputy Director
Missouri Primary Care Association
3325 Emerald Lane
Jefferson City, Missouri 65109-6879
Phone: 573-636-4222, E-mail: astevens@mo-pca.org

 
 

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