Community Health Centers

Community health centers are clinics that provide medical care to people in their own neighborhoods, often in places with few other providers. They usually offer primary care, preventive services, and sometimes dental and mental health care. Federal health agencies, state governments, local boards, and the clinics themselves are the main participants, and many centers charge fees based on what a patient can pay.

People usually ask how to find a health center near them and who may use one. They want to know how fees are set, whether insurance is needed, what services are offered, and how these clinics differ from private offices, urgent care, and hospital emergency rooms.