North Country HealthCare is Northern Arizona’s community health center and for more than four decades, America’s community health centers have been providing basic health care for those in need. Today, community health centers serve the primary health care needs of more than 23 million patients in over 8,000 locations across the United States. Health centers play a crucial role during tough economic times, providing affordable health services for millions of uninsured and working Americans who struggle to pay for healthcare. The number of uninsured patients receiving care at health centers has increased 62 percent since 2000, the most significant growth in the program’s history. Health centers now serve one in seven uninsured people nationally, including one in five of the low income uninsured.
Health centers provide a unique and comprehensive approach to healthcare that saves money, improves patient health and creates quality local jobs in the communities they serve. Community Health Centers save money every time an uninsured patient opts for an exam and treatment at the first sign of a health issue instead of waiting until an emergency room visit is the only option.
Affordable and accessible health care transforms communities by narrowing health disparities, eliminating low birth weights and reducing chronic disease and unnecessary hospitalizations. Through use of a sliding fee scale, all eligible patients receive a significant discount for health care provided in community health centers. A local approach to health care, combined with an innovative emphasis on comprehensive preventative care, generates $24 billion in annual savings to the healthcare system – to taxpayers and private payers alike.
North Country HealthCare is your community health center and offers Northern Arizona varying services including primary care, OB/GYN care, pediatric care, school based health services, dental care, pharmacy services, chronic disease management, behavioral health services, on-site laboratory and radiology, medical legal advice, health benefits enrollment assistance, a variety of community health programs and a well-developed education and research department.
Currently, North Country HealthCare operates in 14 communities throughout Northern Arizona and serves as a medical home to nearly 50,000 people. North Country HealthCare is one of the largest employers in Northern Arizona, pays above average wages and serves as an important economic engine in the communities they serve. North Country HealthCare accepts Medicare, AHCCCS, commercial insurance and offers a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. Because North Country HealthCare treats patients regardless of their ability to pay, the more insured individuals that are seen, the more uninsured North Country HealthCare can care for. If you are in need of a medical home, North Country HealthCare is accepting new patients and looks forward to caring for you and your family. FBN
Katie Brock is the Patient Retention Specialist at North Country HealthCare.