Community health centers (CHCs), the backbone of America’s health care safety net, report worsening workforce shortages, a new Commonwealth Fund survey finds. In 2024, more than 70 percent of CHCs have reported primary care physician, nurse, or mental health professional shortages.
The survey also shows that, despite many challenges — including rising mental health and substance use treatment needs, changes in Medicaid enrollment, and persistent funding gaps — CHCs have continued to provide accessible, comprehensive, and coordinated health care to more than 30 million patients annually. Of these, 20 million are people with low income, 17 million are people of color, 15 million are people covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and nearly 16 million are uninsured.