Community Health Centers are non-profit community based health care providers whose health care facilities are located in medically underserved areas or health professional shortage areas.  They provide primary care, and in many cases, dental care, laboratory services, pharmaceutical services, behavioral health and preventive health.  In Virginia there are 26 community health centers with 80 sites. 

Community Health Centers receive some funding from the federal government, normally referred to as Section 330 grants.  These funds help them underwrite the cost of providing care in their communities.  Community health centers will see patients with Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance or other payor sources.  Also, community health centers compete for other non-federal grants and contracts.

It is important to keep in mind that community health centers do not compete with other health providers.  Community Health Centers serve local communities that have been deemed as being either medically underserved areas, or health professional shortage areas.  As such, these are areas that private practices either have chosen to serve, or providers simply are not available in the community.  Other than that, community health centers typically offer all the services you would find in a regular private practice, and in most cases, community health centers provide even more services than would normally be found in a typical private practice, such as dental and behavioral health services.