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Office of Primary Care

Primary Health Care Services include care given on initial contact and in the ambulatory setting. This health care is for:

  • treatment for acute diseases,
  • managing chronic diseases,
  • continuity of care,
  • using preventative measures,
  • teaching, and
  • Employing an understanding of emotional and social factors in the assessment and intervention for each individual client.

Primary Health Care encompasses all of the Life Cycles and consists of five major components:

  • Accessibility
  • Accountability
  • Comprehensive Care
  • Coordinated/Continuous Care
  • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

All of these components must be met to provide primary health care in the Nurse Managed Clinics (NMC), Rural Health Care/Training Centers (RHC/TC), Rural Health Clinics (RHC), Community Health Centers (CHC), and other types of health care.

A community health center is defined as consumer driven, providing primary health care services by state licensed professionals, which are also comprehensive in scope, coordinated within the community, acceptable, accessible, affordable, appropriate, and available. The Primary Care Office administers the State Community Health Center Operating Grant.

Map showing Federally Qualified Health Centers, Community Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, Maternal and Child Health Clinics, and Community Mental Health Centers 4/14

Health Professional Shortage Areas/ Medically Underserved Areas

These are Federal Designations that are used to determine areas of most need. They are used for National Health Service Corp, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, J-1 Visa physician placement and many other programs.

More information on Shortage Designations.

Programs needing Federal Designations.