Strengthening the Safety Net
Key Fact
Starting in 2011, the U.S will invest $11 billion, over five years, in the nation’s community health centers to expand access to health care in communities where it's needed most.
Source: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law March 23, 2010
Blue Shield of California Foundation is committed to being an ally to the safety net, to help ensure that all Californians have access to effective and affordable health care. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act means low-income Californians will have broader healthcare options. The Foundation is working with community health centers throughout California to make sure they can be providers of choice in this new environment.
Though historically focused on community health centers, Foundation funding parameters now include county clinics, public hospitals, and other local and regional safety net providers. Our approach supports the development of integrated, coordinated systems of care for low-income populations throughout California. Through this work, we are helping the safety net offer seamless, high-quality health care for California's underserved.
Integration and Coordination
California's healthcare safety net faces the challenge of coordinating patient services within a fragmented system. Across the state, many providers work in siloed settings with limited use of technology and other tools to communicate and coordinate patient care across multiple organizations. To succeed in the era of health reform, community health centers and other safety net providers must be able to effectively deliver integrated care to their patients.
Innovation and Performance
The Affordable Care Act creates both challenges and opportunities for community health centers in California. Increasing patient demand, integrated healthcare delivery pilots, electronic health record requirements, and the prospect of new payment models require safety net providers to change in order to thrive.
To support community health centers as they adapt, improve, and innovate, the Foundation funds programs that foster innovation, data-driven performance enhancement, and new solutions for better care delivery and patient experience.
Leadership
Effective leadership will be crucial for community health centers (CHCs) as they navigate the rapidly changing landscape of federal health reform. The Foundation supports a continuum of leadership, management, and mentoring programs under the Clinic Leadership Institute (CLI) umbrella.
Funding leadership development is critical to ensuring that community health centers thrive in a newly competitive environment and remain providers of choice for patients throughout California. Just as importantly, it demonstrates our deep commitment to the success and advancement of the clinic field.
Core Operating Support
Since 2005, the Foundation has provided more than $57 million in core support funds to over 200 community health centers and clinic consortia across the state. These grants work to strengthen the providers and networks that are working on the front lines to serve low-income and uninsured Californians.