Annually, in August, the National Association of Community Health Centers sponsors National Health Center Week to increase awareness of the 1,500+ Community Health Centers that provide quality, comprehensive health care to over 32.5 million patients in 16,000+ communities across the United States. Community Health Centers (CHCs) are not just buildings, but lifelines for vulnerable populations to receive patient-centered care regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. No one is turned away at a CHC, making them pillars of service, integrity, and dedication. But what support systems are in place to enable health centers to continually deliver and improve care?

In honor of NHCW’s theme of Celebrating 60 years of Progress, the Oregon Primary Care Association is releasing a special series of posts breaking down its strategy in supporting Oregon’s CHCs in leading the transformation of primary care to achieve health care access for all.

By the 1980s, nine CHCs operated in Oregon. However, their efforts were often isolated, causing their leaders to design complex infrastructure from scratch and navigate government regulations independently. This struggle led to the founding of the Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) in 1984. Our founding members believed in the necessity of a statewide membership association to coordinate resources, ideas, and advocacy. They envisioned OPCA as the hub to facilitate the development of a community-centered, community-driven approach to health care. This, in turn, empowered Oregon CHCs to build a patient-centered system to expand access to primary care services.

To kick off this special series, let’s learn how the association is:

To summarize the conversation, OPCA is committed to engaging members in discussions to improve the association’s ability to serve, inform, and represent Oregon’s community health centers. Our dedication to enhancing your health center’s capacity to deliver health care services to those in greatest need, is deeply ingrained in our organization. In the following entries, you’ll hear directly from OPCA’s team sharing initiatives and programs available to health centers. We encourage you to listen and learn how OPCA can support you now and into the future.

Below are short interviews with OPCA staff highlighting projects and initiatives engaging Oregon’s CHCs. Click each entry to hear from the team and see CHC spotlights. Resources, tools, and upcoming learning opportunities are available in the CHC Toolbox section of each entry.