Health Services Requirements

The following required services can be provided directly or through a written contractual arrangement:

• Primary care
• Dental
• Mental health
• Substance Abuse
• Diagnostic lab and X-ray
• Prenatal and perinatal
• Cancer and other disease screening
• Blood level screenings
• Lead levels
• Communicable diseases
• Cholesterol
• Prenatal and perinatal
• Well child services
• Child and adult immunizations
• Eye and ear screening for children
• Family planning services
• Emergency medical
• Pharmaceutical
• Case management
• Outreach and education
• Eligibility/Enrollment services
• Transportation and interpretation
• Referrals to specialty providers and hospital services

It is required that FQHCs provide all patients a “Continuum of Care.” This means that patients have access to all required services, access to specialty and hospital services, and after-hours coverage. The majority of patients served by FQHCs experience barriers to accessing health care services so the FQHC must be physically located where it ensures accessibility, like on or near a major road or on a public transportation stop. Hours of operation must facilitate access to care by having some early morning, evening or weekend hours. The FQHC’s health care providers must ensure the appropriate mix of services for the target population. Each FQHC must consider the mix of services already available to its patients through other providers to minimize the duplication of services and maximize the efficient use of its financial resources. If required services will not be provided directly, the FQHC should have written agreements with other providers for those services. On an ongoing basis FQHCs must establish and update health care goals and objectives that address highest priority health care needs of patients, and collaborate to achieve goals when possible

All FQHCs must have a Medical Director that supervises all clinical activities and medical doctors that are licensed and residency trained. Appropriate Board Certification is very desirable. Other clinicians besides medical doctors must have appropriate licensure.

FQHCs must ensure that they have fully operational clinical patient flow and appointment systems. These patient systems must be connected to the FQHC’s Management Information System because the patient information will drive the strategic planning process and development of new services as well as the financial and capital development planning.

All FQHCS must establish Policies and Procedures for hours of operation, patient referral and tracking, use of clinical protocols, risk management procedures, procedures for assessing patient satisfaction, and consumer Bill of Rights/patient grievance procedures.