The rural health clinic services act (public law 95-210) was created in 1977. Rural health centers receive this designation from the health resources and services administration if they are determined to be in a non-urban area which has a shortage of primary care medical services. The purpose of a rural health center is to provide primary care services in underserved rural areas.
Rural health clinics typically provide physician services, onsite laboratory testing, and have arrangements with hospitals to furnish services not available at the rural health centers. Patients who visit an rural health clinic may see a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Sometimes rural health centers may offer home visits by a registered professional to the homebound.
Choosing a rural health center is a decision that can affect your health and the rest of your life. Unfortunately most people don’t even consider their options and simply use whichever rural health center is closest. This is probably because with over 3,700 rural health centers nationwide, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. The key is to research your choices so you find a rural health clinic that fits your needs and provides quality care.
Below are some factors to consider when selecting a rural health clinic:
1. Location: With 3,700 rural health clinics across the nation, one may be closer than you think. You can obtain a list of rural health centers in a specific area by using the rural health center search tool above.
2. Quality: Quality is often overlooked but extremely important. WhereToFindCare.com is the only place that gives you a quality score to assist you in choosing a rural health clinic: the consumer quality score.
The consumer quality score is the percentage of people who rated their rural health clinic on WhereToFindCare.com and said they received quality care. This experience-based rural health center satisfaction score cannot be found elsewhere today except by word of mouth.
Have you had experiences with rural health clinics in your area? Share your experiences with other users by
rating the rural health center on WhereToFindCare.com. Your feedback is invaluable to others in your community searching for rural health centers.
3. Recommendations: Word of mouth recommendations can tell us whether we can get along with providers on a personal level. Ask friends, family, and other associates if they have had experiences with the rural health clinics on your list. You can also find word of mouth recommendations on WhereToFindCare.com.
Use the rural health clinic search tool above to locate rural health clinics in your area. With the report generated, you can view quality information, word of mouth recommendations from people in your community, exceptional healthcare workers at rural health centers(we call them CareStars), photos, video tours, services provided, insurance accepted, contact information, driving directions, and much more.