Primary Care

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The primary responsibility of the local health department (LHD) is not necessarily to deliver primary care services, but to ensure that the health needs of the community are being met. LHDs, through different approaches to their assurance function, contribute directly or indirectly to the delivery of primary care services to the populations they serve. More »

Activities Include

»	Collaboration Resources
	A list of existing resources to strengthen and evaluate collaborative efforts between LHDs and community health centers (CHCs). More »

»	LHD and CHC Workforce Collaborations
	LHDs and health centers (HCs) are integral players in increasing access to care for the un- and under-insured. Key to their success is the employment and retention of qualified workers. At both LHDs and HCs, employees are involved in providing clinical care, office support, community outreach, and programming. LHDs and HCs both focus on some similar issues, including oral health, mental health, access to care, and emergency preparedness, and share similar missions of assuring access to care for vulnerable and special populations. In Spring 2008, NACCHO awarded $10,000 each to two LHDs to: 1) engage with their local HC(s) to recruit and retain qualified personnel which will benefit the operations of both entities; and 2) share strategies and lessons learned with NACCHO and other LHDs. Read about the experiences of Alameda County (CA) Public Health Department and Lewis County (WA) Health Department.

»	Partnerships for Health Care: Local Health Department and Community Health Center Collaboration
	Developing Quality Applications for Community Health Center Funding Issue Brief This audio conference series provides technical assistance to LHDs interested in working with CHCs. Speakers are from the Bureau of Primary Health Care (Health Resources and Services Administration), LHDs throughout the U.S., the National Association of Community Health Centers, and state primary care associations. More »