In 2005, while working in the commissioner’s office at the Maine Department of Labor, I received a phone call that I will never forget. The woman on the line was desperate to find a job and get off unemployment, telling me she was embarrassed to go to any interviews and that no one would hire her anyway.
I asked her why, and she explained that she couldn’t afford health or dental insurance. She told me when she smiled she thought her mouth looked like a checkerboard because of all the rotten teeth that she had to have pulled. She went on to say she hadn’t been able to eat a hot meal or enjoy a cold drink in years because the pain in her mouth was so bad. This proud woman, committed to finding work, lacked the confidence to pursue gainful employment because of oral pain issues that likely could have been avoided with low-cost cleanings and care.
This conversation has stayed with me for so long because I still feel bad that I was unable to offer her much in the way of advice or support. At the time, I was not familiar with the statewide network of Community Health Centers, or CHCs, primary care practices across Maine that could have provided her with the critical medical, behavioral health and dental services she so desperately needed.
How could she have accessed such services, you might ask, given that she lacked health and dental insurance? This woman, like many in need of a “Health Home,” could have enrolled as a patient at her local CHC. With over 70 locations in cities and towns throughout our state, Maine’s Community Health Centers serve anyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Offering such high-quality care, CHCs are also providers of choice for those with private insurance, MaineCare and Medicare.
This story is even more poignant as 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Community Health Center movement nationally. All across the country and right here in Maine, the impact of these innovative, locally run CHCs improving the health, wellness and lives of their patients continues to grow. Currently, one in every seven Mainers receives their primary care from one of these integrated practices.
Much has changed since I spoke to that woman 10 years ago. Insurance has become more widely available through the Affordable Care Act, helping over 72,000 Mainers gain quality health insurance. In talking with Certified Application Counselors at CHCs across the state, it was not uncommon to hear that under the ACA, people had health insurance for the first time in their lives, but many were without a “Health Home” to receive regular, accessible primary care services. It made me think back to the woman on the phone and how I could have helped her now, armed with the knowledge that anyone can find a provider and quality health care today at their nearest community health center.
Furthermore, anyone can enroll as a patient at their local Community Health Center any day of the year. With the second week of August being National Health Center Week, it provides a great opportunity to check out your local CHC and the programs and services they have to offer.
With open doors to all, open minds toward innovation to improve care, and open hearts full of compassion and understanding, this has been, is now, and will forever be the legacy of your Community Health Centers.
Vanessa Santarelli is the CEO of the Maine Primary Care Association, an organization that works to strengthen and sustain Maine’s Community Health Centers and its primary care system, particularly in rural and underserved areas. For further information on the Maine Primary Care Association, or to find a local Community Health Center, visit www.mepca.org.