This National Health Center Week (August 3–9, 2025), I am reflecting on the extraordinary role that Community Health Centers (CHCs) play in sustaining America’s health care safety net. Serving nearly 1 in 10 people in the U.S., including 1 in 8 children, CHCs are often the only source of dependable, high-quality care in medically underserved areas.
Our centers provide comprehensive care, including primary, dental, behavioral health, substance use treatment, and social services on a sliding fee scale, treating every patient with dignity and compassion, regardless of insurance or income. In short, we do more than heal. We build healthier communities from the ground up.
At Urban Health Plan, this mission has been our guiding star since 1974, when Dr. Richard “Doc” Izquierdo founded our organization to bring needed care to his community. Today, with 12 federally qualified health centers across the Bronx, Central Harlem, and Corona, Queens, 12 school-based clinics, and dedicated mental health facilities, we serve over 89,000 patients through more than 430,000 visits annually. We have been proud to be recognized by many sources, including HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration), for our quality and innovation.
Last year, as we marked our 50th anniversary, we renewed our commitment to tackling the social risk factors of health. We provide WIC, food pantry access, affordable housing support, job readiness, and education partnerships, all rooted in our community’s lived experience. As someone raised in the Bronx and the daughter of our founder, these values have always been, and will always be, deeply personal. Every patient is a neighbor. Every outcome reflects our promise to serve all individuals with respect, dignity, and a deep understanding of their needs.
But our work, and that of CHCs nationwide, is under increasing pressure. Chronic underfunding, flat Medicaid reimbursement rates, and persistent federal funding uncertainty all threaten service continuity. At this juncture, health centers nationwide, serving millions, are facing the risk of reduced hours and even closures.
That is why, during National Health Center Week, I am proudly honoring the dedicated individuals who are the heart of our health centers: the healthcare providers, nurses, community health workers, board members, and volunteers who show up every day with purpose, compassion, and an unshakable commitment to the communities we serve. Their work ensures that health centers remain a beacon of health and hope, especially where care is needed most.
Today, I ask you to do two very simple yet powerful things:
- Celebrate the impact of Community Health Centers
- Stand with us to protect and strengthen them for the future.
At Urban Health Plan and CHCs nationwide, we do not just provide care. We build community resilience, protect vulnerable lives, and show that health care for all is possible. Help us lift our work and our voices. Together, we can ensure that every patient has access to the care they deserve, and we can continue to provide compassionate care that creates better lives for generations to come.
Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez, President & CEO, Urban Health Plan
Board Chair, National Association of Community Health Centers
