Findings from a demonstration outreach project at a community health center

Outreach using personal contact was a cornerstone of the federally funded Community Health Center (CHC) movement of the 1960s. Funding cuts and changes in federal policy have led to the discontinuation of this activity in most CHCs. This paper assesses aspects of a demonstration outreach project designed to encourage use of a CHC in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The evaluation shows that this type of outreach effort, which includes door-to-door canvassing, can identify specific needs for primary health care services in a poor underserved community, and can enhance community access to Medicaid, although the financial impact of bringing poor patients into CHCs by means of this type of outreach is relatively low.