What is a Community Health Center?



From the most remote areas in the state to the growing cities, Idaho’s community health centers offer medical, dental, pharmacy, and behavioral health services to make sure no person’s health issue goes unnoticed.  No one is turned away because of lack of insurance or inability to pay. It doesn’t matter if you have an insurance card or not. You can have the peace of mind knowing that affordable and accessible care is available to you, your family, and your community.

Idaho has 15 community health centers throughout 67 communities in Idaho. As a united network they serve just over 230,000 patients. Each organization collaborates closely with one another to drive down patient costs and deliver better health outcomes for all Idahoans.

Key characteristics of community health centers

  • Nonprofits
  • Provide comprehensive primary, behavioral health, and dental care
  • Serve a high need community
  • Patient-majority boards
  • Sliding fee scales to provide affordability
  • Treat all patients regardless of ability to pay

Mission of community health centers

  • Provide affordable access to high-quality care
  • Eliminate barriers based on income, socioeconomic status, race, language, transportation, coverage status, etc.
  • Address the root issues of health problems by focusing on whole person health
  • Create jobs and economic growth in underserved communities


For over 50 years, Idaho’s community health centers have been practicing a different way of delivering health care, one where patients spend less money and achieve better health. Community health centers aim to treat the entire person, this includes the health conditions in which people live, work, and play. Keeping communities and patients healthy is their number one priority, this saves money for our patients and communities.

Community health centers are available for all Idahoans, from small business owners with high-deductible plans, mothers working two jobs, a family with a brand-new child, college students, those who have recently become unemployed, or anyone looking to cut the cost of health care in their budget, all Idahoans are welcome at community health centers.

Services Offered: 

Quality and Affordability

Health centers support a healthy lifestyle by providing high quality and affordable services to everyone. For those who are uninsured or underinsured, a sliding-fee payment scale encourages access.

Patient Centered, Integrated Care

Revolutionizing healthcare by offering a medical home where patients can access medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare together to provide care that is comprehensive and convenient.

Healthy Communities

Health centers care for the whole person and serve as a trusted resource for community members. Clinical professionals work together to make sure that each patient receives the best care.

Medical

Comprehensive primary and preventive healthcare related to family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology.

  • Health screenings 
  • Well child services
  • Chronic disease
  • Older adult care
  • Lab & radiology
  • Immunizations
  • Cancer screenings
  • Urgent 

 

Behavioral Health

Prevention, screening and treatment of common mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and ADHD. Treatment and follow up of stabilized patients with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychotic depression.

Pharmacy

Services are provided on-site or by contract to ensure low cost medications for all patients regardless of income level or insurance status.

Telehealth

In 2020 Idaho’s community health centers provided over 110,000 telehealth visits to patients, a significant increase from 156 visits the previous year. Telehealth allows people to get critical health care in their home, mitigating many rural barriers such as transportation.

School Based Clinics

Many of Idaho’s community health centers partner with local schools to provide medical and mental healthcare for students at their school.

Enabling Services

Non-clinical interventions that enable a person to access health care and improve their health; case management, health education, referrals, transportation and more.