Know Thy Neighbor

Health centers represent an important component of the health care safety net that serves people who are uninsured or underinsured. They are critical to the delivery of comprehensive primary, mental health, and behavioral health care services in communities across the country. The familiar saying, “It takes a village”, is especially true when it comes to enhancing access to health care for those individuals who have the greatest need. This is what makes collaboration with local stakeholder agencies vital to the work of health centers.

Health centers are required to have a governance board that ensures that their operations are responsive to patient needs. Recruiting board members that work at community agencies that serve the health center’s patient population is a major way to meet this requirement. Collaborating with staff from other local community agencies also helps boards to ensure that patient needs are met, especially when needed services are not provided by the health center. Lastly, directly participating in events such as health fairs, community garage sales, or local festivals provides members with excellent opportunities to interact and learn directly from current and/or future patients. Board members are encouraged to get out in the community, get to know their neighbors, and most importantly…have fun!