Last year marked the 50th anniversary nationally of the federally qualified health centers, which were born out of the civil rights and anti-poverty movements of the 1960s. At their core, the community health centers, like the one in Portland, have a mission to provide open, equal and affordable access to all who come through their doors, regardless of insurance status, ability to pay, race, religion, ethnicity, town of residence, gender or sexual orientation.

By law, community health centers must be in federally designated high-need areas, known as “medically underserved areas.” Community health centers are also required to provide a broader and more integrated range of services than other types of providers in order to remove barriers to care for rural, elderly, low-income, disabled and non-English speaking individuals through transportation, interpretation and case management support.

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