About the Foundation.

about-the-foundation

Image taken by Daniel Bernstein

Founded in 2005, the RCHN Community Health Foundation (RCHN CHF) is a not-for-profit foundation with a unique mission: to support the work of community health centers across America.  RCHN CHF is the only foundation in the country devoted exclusively to community health centers (CHCs) – the local, non-profit, community-governed health care providers that offer comprehensive primary and preventive care to underserved populations.

Located in diverse urban and rural communities, community health centers are the backbone of the healthcare safety net. Community health centers are distinguished by community governance, high-quality care, and a commitment to access for all regardless of ability to pay. Health centers provide effective, culturally and linguistically relevant health care outreach, education, and clinical services; provide good jobs that, in turn, generate substantial economic activity; and serve as both health care homes and anchors in their neighborhoods, improving the health of individuals and of their communities as a whole.

RCHN CHF magnifies the local work of community health centers, developing and facilitating the sharing of important resources, tools, and information, and helping to broaden, in scope and intensity, the essential work of health center providers. While the Foundation is based in New York City, its activities and programs are national in scope. RCHN CHF provides an important catalyst for initiatives that help health centers improve patient and population health, reduce overall health care costs, generate economic opportunities, and create a gateway not just to health care services, but to improved health for the underserved and uninsured. RCHN CHF’s groundbreaking work makes a deep impact by:

  • Assisting community health centers as they address their primary operational, clinical, and policy challenges in order to advance health care.
  • Inspiring collaboration, developing and assembling resources, providing direct assistance, and promoting the story of health centers’ unprecedented work.
  • Working directly with partners across the country seeking to influence community health initiatives, from the local to national level.
  • Providing a platform for the dissemination of research and best practices to help community health centers thrive.
  • Supporting community health centers in their pursuit to provide high quality, equitable health care.

 

Please take a moment to read more about our mission, background, timeline, board and staff leadership.