Public-private partnerships in community health centers: addressing the needs of underserved populations

Community health centers have provided high quality, cost-effective primary healthcare to underserved populations for over four decades. From the beginning, collaboration has been a central component of the community health center model of care. This article begins with an overview of community health center achievements and the drive for increased private-public partnerships in public health. The historic and current role of public-private partnerships within community health centers is described, with a particular focus on the Bureau of Primary Health Care initiatives (that is, the Health Disparities Collaborative and the Healthy Communities Access Program). Community health centers' establishment of partnerships in response to Hurricane Katrina and Medicare Part D is discussed. Finally, this article considers the continuing role of community health center public-private partnerships in the context of political and healthcare market shifts.