Hospital and FQHC Collaboration Initiative

This initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to expand access to care, especially for underserved communities, by aligning their complementary roles in primary, preventive, specialty, and emergency services. Building on successful partnerships already operating in North Carolina, NCHF is engaging both strong existing hospital–FQHC collaborations and emerging partnerships to deepen coordination, share data, explore sustainable funding and reimbursement models, and identify the core elements that drive improved outcomes and cost savings. By studying and supporting these sites through a structured collaborative, the initiative seeks to create a replicable model that enhances care coordination, addresses non-medical drivers of health, improves quality, and ultimately strengthens the healthcare safety net statewide.