Community Health Centers: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Financial – Introduction to Financial

Community Health Centers: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Financial – Introduction to Financial

In this continuing series, we address Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.

Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:

From 54% of chronically ill giving-up necessary medical care due to lack of money, (http://www.commonwealthfund.org/index.htm )

To a 1% increase in unemployment resulting in an increase of 1,000,000 people with no health insurance - Kaiser Family Foundation - http://www.kff.org/ and NewsHour – PBS -HealthBeat -http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/uninsured/index.html

If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter; then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.

The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.

This post addresses:
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Financial

Financial
Does the leadership understand, and convert into action, the foremost financial need of the organization as their first and primary task and duty?

1. Positive cash flow …
2. Total provider compensation at 45% of that provider’s net collections …
3. Total medical CHC expenses at 88% of total net collections …
4. Internal accounts receivable of less than 3 days …
5. External accounts receivable of less than 46 days …

Next post: Leadership – Structure – Finance: An Overview