A new data note summarizes and analyzes survey data collected by HRSA, as reported for the week of November 6, 2020, and also reports updated trends data for the seven-month period from April 3 through November 6.
- 96 percent of responding health centers report capacity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, up from 80 percent in early April.
- The number of patients tested for the COVID-19 virus this week (244,945) neared the peak level (251,246) reported in mid-August.
- Community health centers have tested 5,035,426 patients for COVID-19 virus over seven months, since reporting began in April.
- In the aggregate, a total of 561,777 health center patients have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, accounting for 5.8 percent of cases nationally, or one in 17 of all U.S. cases.
- Patients reported as racial and ethnic minorities, particularly Hispanic/Latino patients, accounted disproportionately for patients who tested positive, both this week and consistently over the seven months of survey data
- 16 percent of responding health centers reported turn-around times for viral test results of four or more days, an improvement from 66% in mid-July.
While operational capacity has improved, weekly visits remain consistently lower than before the pandemic. With no additional federal COVID-19 financial relief committed, the pandemic has taken an enormous financial toll on health centers, resulting in an estimated $3.714 billion in cumulative patient revenue losses over seven months. In the face of deep financial loss and continued uncertainty, the future of our nation’s health centers should be a cause for both deep concern and renewed long-term support.
The data note was produced by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative.
Download the data note.
