/ About Us / FQHC & NHSC

What is an FQHC? What is NHSC?

BCHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). We exist to increase the availability of high-quality health care in the community. Community Health Centers (CHC) provide health care to all, regardless of the ability to pay. A Board of Directors governs our 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Board is comprised of patients and community volunteers.

As an FQHC, Berks Community Health Center receives grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care, and is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b, as authorized by Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.

Berks Community Health Center has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).

BCHC is a Member Site of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). National Health Service Corps programs provide scholarships and student loan repayment for primary care providers. The Corps includes the medical, dental, and behavioral health fields.  The Corps serves in areas of the country that have health professional shortages. In 2015, more than 9,600 National Health Service Corps clinicians were providing care to over 10.2 million people. Health care is available to those who live in rural, urban, and frontier communities. There are more than 5,000 NHSC-approved sites.

Located in an area that has been designated as medically underserved, we provide care to all, regardless of ability to pay:

  • Those with insurance, including Medicaid, Medicare, commercial and marketplace insurances
  • Patients without insurance, who pay according to a Federally- approved sliding fee scale based on their family income and ability to pay
  • People who often have difficulty getting primary care, including the homeless, migrant workers and immigrants