Almost all community health centers (95 percent) are experiencing at least one clinical vacancy, and more than two-thirds (69 percent) are recruiting for at least one family physician, according to a new report issued by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).
Health centers serve more than 24 million people, or 1 in 14 Americans, according to a news release from NACHC.
Recruiting, training, and retaining needed staff remains a persistent limiting factor in expanding access to care, NACHC said. If all clinical vacancies were filled, health centers could serve an additional 2 million patients, the centers estimate.
Dr. Ron Yee, chief medical officer at NACHC, called for prioritizing the national investment in initiatives like the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Teaching Health Centers and other training programs – as well as solutions like telehealth – to help bridge the workforce gap.
Despite staffing challenges, health centers are starting food banks and community gardens, providing housing assistance and job training, and integrating behavioral and oral health with primary care, NACHC said.
Other findings of the report include: 56 percent of health centers report at least one behavioral health staff vacancy, such as a licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, or other mental health/substance abuse professional; health centers have higher average vacancy rates for physicians than hospitals; more than half of all NHSC participants are providing care at a health center; and health center providers make up 53 percent of current NHSC participants and 61 percent of currently listed NHSC vacancies are at health centers.
