The Obama Administration and

Community Health Centers

Community health centers are a critical source of health care for millions of Americans –

particularly those in underserved communities. Thanks primarily to the Affordable Care Act and 

the Recovery Act, community health centers are serving nearly 3 million additional patients 

today, for an estimated total of 20 million patients in 2011, and will serve an additional 1.3 

million additional new patients in the next two years.

The health care law has already supported the construction and renovation of 190 capital 

projects at health centers and the creation of 67 new health center sites across the country, and 

will support the construction and renovation of more than 485 health center sites and the 

creation of more than 245 new community health center sites over the next two years.

Nearly 3 Million New Patients Are Receiving Care in Community Health Centers Thanks 

Primarily to the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act

The Affordable Care Act’s investments in community health centers were designed to both 

expand the number of patients served, particularly in underserved areas, as well as to improve 

and expand the services available to patients. Of the total $11 billion investment in Community 

Health Centers in the Affordable Care Act, $9.5 billion is designated as operational support to 

sustain, improve and expand existing community health centers, allowing them to serve more 

patients at more locations and provide more services. In FY 2011, the first $1 billion of these 

funds were awarded. The Recovery Act invested $2 billion in community health centers in 2009 

and 2010, of which $1.5 billion was for capital projects and $500 million for health center 

services.

Due primarily to these investments, the number of patients receiving care from a community 

health center has increased by nearly 3 million, from 17 to 20 million between 2008 and 2011.

Affordable Care Act funding also has helped to ensure that more than 4 million existing health 

center patients’ ongoing primary health care needs are met. 
1.3 Million More Americans Will Have Access to Care at a Community Health Center in 

the Future

In 2012 and 2013, Affordable Care Act funding will help continue to expand the number of 

patients served by community health centers, including more than 245 New Health Center 

Access Points for Care. These new community health center sites are expected to serve 

approximately 1.3 million patients. Even more patients will be served in later years as 

community health centers complete renovation and expansion projects using longer term 

Building Capacity grant dollars. 

Building Health Centers to Serve the Patients of Today and Tomorrow

The Affordable Care Act has already helped build new community health center sites, and 

expand and improve services available to their patients. In the coming years, the health care 

law will continue these efforts.

Through the Increased Demand for Services grants, supported initially with the Recovery Act 

and continued with the Affordable Care Act, health centers expanded services and access to 

care in response to the increased number of patients seeking low-cost, affordable health care 

services. In 2011, more than 1,100 community health centers received grants to meet those 

needs by supporting new providers, expanded hours of operations or expanded services, such 

as oral health, behavioral health, or pharmacies.

• New Access Points for Care: In 2011, Affordable Care Act funds helped continue 

support for 127 Health Center New Access Points, and created 67 new community 

health center sites serving an additional 300,000 patients. These grants establish new 

16.5

17

17.5

18

18.5

19

19.5

20

20.5

2008 2009 2010 2011 (est.)

Number of Patients Served

(in millions)
community health centers and help existing community health centers build and operate

new full-time service delivery sites that provide comprehensive primary and preventive 

health care services.

• Capital Development: Half of the $1.5 billion Affordable Care Act Capital Development 

program funding was awarded in 2010 to support 190 major construction and 

renovation projects at 144 community health centers nationwide. These efforts are 

expected to help community health centers reach an additional 745,000 underserved 

patients. The remaining Capital Development program funds will support two types of 

grants in 2012:

• Building Capacity: 171 new large renovation, expansion or construction projects will 

improve health center capacity to provide primary and preventive health services to 

underserved populations. 

• Immediate Facility Improvement: 227 new construction and renovation projects will 

help support health center efforts to address immediate facility needs within existing 

sites that are providing primary and preventive health services.

These grants are expected to expand access to an additional 860,000 patients.

Community Health Centers Support Economic Growth, Create Jobs

Community health centers are an integral source of local employment and economic growth in 

many underserved and low-income communities. Total health center employment is more than 

131,000 individuals nationwide, including a more than 15 percent increase - or 18,600 jobs -

since the beginning of 2009.

The additional 245 new sites expected to receive Health Center New Access Points for Care 

grants in 2012 and 2013 are estimated to support an additional 6,000 jobs.

Community Health Centers: Proven Record

For more than 45 years, community health centers have delivered comprehensive, high-quality 

preventive and primary health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. During that time, 

community health centers have become the essential primary care medical home for millions of 

Americans. Community health centers provide a comprehensive array of services to meet the 

varying needs of their patient populations including: chronic disease management, prevention 

and patient education. Today, a network of more than 1,100 community health centers operate 

8,500 service delivery sites that provide care to 20 million patients in every State, the District of 

Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. About half of all 

community health center grantees serve rural America; the remainder are found in urban areas.

This network of community health centers has created a system of primary and preventive care 

with a true national impact.

• Of the 20 million people treated in community health centers, nearly two-thirds are

members of racial and ethnic minority groups. Nearly forty percent have no health 
insurance; a third are children.

• One out of every 16 people living in the U.S. relies on a community health center for 

primary care.

• Community health centers are an integral source of local employment and economic 

growth in many underserved and low-income communities. Since the beginning of 

2009, health centers have added more than 18,600 new full time positions in many of 

the nation’s most economically distressed communities.

• Community health centers employ more than 131,000 staff including 9,600 physicians, 

6,400 nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, and certified nurse midwives, 11,400 

nurses, 9,500 dental staff, 4,200 behavioral health staff, and more than 12,000 case 

managers, health education, outreach, and transportation staff.

Source: Uniform Data System, 2010
Affordable Care Act and Recovery Act Funding for Capital Development 2009-2012

Alabama $33,859,973

Alaska $32,109,297

American Samoa $773,355

Arkansas $20,278,840

Arizona $48,726,075

California $413,146,828

Colorado $60,762,341

Connecticut $56,318,207

Delaware $4,343,685

District of Columbia $23,657,612

Federated States of 

Micronesia $764,880

Florida $95,995,214

Georgia $44,603,343

Guam $718,195

Hawaii $31,185,736

Idaho $31,140,418

Illinois $134,798,795

Indiana $44,888,257

Iowa $34,209,049

Kansas $28,342,575

Kentucky $53,338,946

Louisiana $29,211,713

Maine $20,249,799

Maryland $34,471,286

Massachusetts $188,091,171

Marshall Islands $2,854,545

Michigan $73,484,248

Minnesota $30,464,418

Mississippi $36,307,840

Missouri $53,885,590

Montana $22,298,741

Nebraska $18,810,972

Nevada $14,838,099

New Hampshire $21,756,796

New Jersey $66,200,465

New Mexico $52,938,136

New York $148,157,026

North Carolina $52,600,225

North Dakota $8,574,413

Ohio $77,213,519

Oklahoma $36,680,410

Oregon $67,652,353

Palau $500,000

Pennsylvania $68,937,383

Puerto Rico $54,514,171

Rhode Island $18,812,347

South Carolina $44,805,870

South Dakota $5,581,212

Tennessee $61,892,273

Texas $168,891,224

Utah $14,343,336

Vermont $24,660,465

Virginia $67,134,210

Virgin Islands $709,335

Washington $86,402,038

West Virginia $40,649,539

Wisconsin $33,480,021

Wyoming $13,795,572