Plug into Reform
By Jessica Sharac, Rebecca Morris, James Hernandez, Maria Velasquez, Peter Shin, Sara Rosenbaum, Feygele Jacobs
As more than half of all states reported an increase in their seven-day COVID-19 case averages, the latest Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) weekly COVID-19 survey summary continues to show that the rate of positive health center COVID-19 tests (14.8 percent) is more than twice as high as the national rate. The data also show that high numbers of health center sites remain closed (1,762), resulting in reduced access to health center services even as states reopen and patients resume seeking care.
As states reopen and plan for an increase in pent-up demand for health care services, the latest Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) weekly COVID-19 survey summary continues to show a significant loss of community health center access points. Based on an approximate number of 12,000 health center sites, the 1,782 sites reported closed in week nine of the survey represent a loss of one in seven sites or 15 percent of capacity overall.
As the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) weekly reports on community health centers’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic reaches its eighth week, certain trends and areas of concern have emerged. Drawing any definitive conclusions is difficult, since the data are not longitudinal, tracking changes experienced by a defined group of reporting health centers over time. Instead, the information provided by HRSA is cross-sectional – that is, each week, different health centers may be reporting.