FQHCs at a Glance
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community-based health clinics that provide comprehensive primary care to anyone who walks through their doors, regardless of a person’s income, insurance status, or background. In Oregon and around the country, these health centers play a vital role in keeping communities healthy by offering medical, dental, and behavioral health services along with additional services like pharmacies, community education classes, and connections to social services.
Each health center is locally governed by a board, and at least half of board members must be patients of the clinic where they serve. This rule ensures that FQHCs reflect their community’s real needs.
Oregon’s FQHCs are trusted community pillars working to advance population health across the state.
Teach your kids about FQHCs
You’ve heard about Bigfoot – the gentle, mysterious giant rumored to roam the forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. But what if the legends left something out?
This book imagines just that: Bigfoot stepping out of the trees and into a community health center. Bigfoot helps children and families discover the many services health centers provide. From checkups and dental care to vaccines and wellness support, it’s a playful way to show that community health centers are welcoming places where everyone belongs.
The story was created to help families learn about federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Oregon. We hope this book sparks curiosity, laughter, and conversations about the importance of caring for ourselves and our communities because, as Bigfoot believes, healthy communities are strong communities.
How to use this book
We designed this book in a variety of formats – horizontal orientation, vertical orientation, full color, line art/coloring book. We recommend printing on 8.5 x 11 paper with the booklet setting and to print on both sides of a page. This keeps the printing cost low and feasible for almost any home or office printer.
We also encourage you to take the images and make the story your own! Customize info about your health center at the back of the book, translate the text into other languages, etc. Additionally, individual pages could be printed and placed in waiting rooms as coloring activities for patients.
