The Top 6 Challenges FQHCs Face

Every healthcare organization has its challenges. Some reoccur to the point where leadership sees them as long-standing companions. Some are fires that randomly pop up and scare everyone for a day or two. Others haunt leadership in the night. Everyone has something. 

But for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), these challenges are of a different caliber. 

Let’s talk about it. In this post, we’ll cover 

• What is an FQHC or RHC?
• The Top 6 Challenges They Face
• How RPM Helps

What is an FQHC or RHC?

If you are reading this, it likely means you know exactly what the acronyms represent. But to be fair to readers who may not, we’ll explain. 

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are federally funded community health centers that are focused on serving the underserved. They provide preventative care to more vulnerable populations in communities where access to healthcare is limited at best. Generally, they are overseen by a board of directors to run the organization and answer to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regarding regulation. 

These organizations are crucial in filling the gap in health equity and making the whole industry more effective, as they help Americans rely less on emergency room services for care. 

Basically, they are extremely important and should be treated as such. 

The Top 6 Challenges FQHCs Face

Now that we’ve established who we are talking about, let’s get to the good stuff. Here are the top 6 challenges these organizations face on a daily basis. 

1. Funding is limited. 

These organizations are extremely dependent on funding, donations, etc., to keep their doors open. The leadership team can’t go to a conference, pick something they like, and have it fully running by the time they clean out their emails. (Or can they?)

They have to be frugal and meticulous. Wherever they put their money, it can’t just be worth it—it has to be so worth it that it’s a no-brainer. Their options, resources, and decisions are all made with the budget at the very top of their minds. 

2. They’re too big. 

We are accepting of organizations of all shapes and sizes, but no one can deny that FQHCs have a mass that is rarely matched. Every decision they make, no matter how small, affects a lot of their patients—and they have thousands—so they can never be too careful.

Can you see a pattern forming?

3. Mistakes are expensive.

Mistakes in healthcare run steeply, but for FQHCs, that word takes on a whole new meaning. (Insurance is their #1 expense.) When looking into patient care solutions, administrative solutions, or anything that could make their processing and functioning easier, they walk a tightrope.

Every decision has a double-edged sword. On one hand, this could help everyone out. On the other hand, it means risking their necks while they wait for the payoff. 

4. Churn is high, even on a good day. 

People have to be paid, no matter what their position is, and the economy isn’t helping anyone. So, for FQHCs (who are already facing limited funding and overloaded staff), there is an incredible amount of churn.

The reality is that clinical and administrative staff can “go across the street” and make almost 15% more with for-profit organizations.

All of this swirls together to make leadership extremely careful about asking more of their (already tired) clinical and administrative teams.

5. Constituencies need to be pleased. 

Not only do FQHCs serve more people, but they also answer to more people than your average clinic. They are internally overseen by a board of directors, they answer to the HRSA, and they need to please the population they serve.

Standard clinics need to 1) do things above board and 2) keep patients coming, but that is just the tip of the iceberg for our federally funded friends.

6. Programs fail too much. 

Too often, leadership puts its heart and soul into a proposed solution only for it to fail (because of reasons 1-5). That leaves a team jaded, and it can sometimes hide true solutions.

The leadership of FQHCs and RHCs can feel like they are always slogging through problems with no evident solutions.

How Does RPM Solve Challenges For FQHCs?

We’ve discussed all these issues, but can anything be done about them?

Absolutely, it can.

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) has been an option for providers for years, but the world didn’t gain the understanding it has today until the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare was spinning its wheels trying to get its remote care programs started.

Now, it’s clear that remote healthcare is a crucial part of the industry's future. Why?

The benefits are numerous. 

#1. There is less burden on clinical staff. 

Less office/facility visits mean that there is less stress on clinical staff, less risk to the immunocompromised, and an increased potential patient pool.

On top of that, your organization will see lower care costs due to improved care plan adherence. 

#2. Admin gets more support and more clarity as a result. 

While healthcare providers are important, they can’t see patients without administrative staff handling their tasks. One cannot exist without the other. And luckily for admin, RPM helps them, too.

The clinical staff is much more efficient, the cost of each patient is reduced, and FQHCs are much better equipped overall to serve the underserved—which is their responsibility.

#3. Easy implementation should be expected.

Back in the days of COVID, healthcare leaders became hardened by the offers and promises of remote patient monitoring companies.

But these days, there are companies (like us) who work very hard to make the whole process as easy as possible for you. We know that you and your teams are inundated with too much work and not enough time. You’re also doing extremely important work.

So, when you work with leading companies who are reputable and thorough you can expect implementation to be as simple as possible for organizations of that caliber.

We've been solving the challenges of FQHCs for years. Due to their nature, these organizations face issues on a bigger scale than you can easily imagine. No initiative is simple, small, or easy, so they have to step very carefully.

Accuhealth understands.

Book a meeting with Daniel Gasparini to design a customized remote monitoring plan to maximize your FQHC needs and grant dollars. 

Book A Meeting Here!