A new data note updates previous findings on the impact of COVID-19 on community health centers. The data note is based on survey data collected by HRSA, as reported for April 24, 2020, and summarizes key findings based on 1,038 health center responses. Key findings include:
- 85 percent of responding health centers reported that they have capacity to test for COVID-19. In nine states and the District of Columbia (DC), 100 percent of responding health centers have the ability to test.
- In the week prior to the survey, health centers reported COVID-19 testing for a total of 80,696 patients nationally; state totals ranged from 11,559 in Texas to 21 in Wyoming.
- Nationally, health centers reported that 54 percent of patients tested for COVID-19 were racial and/or ethnic minority patients. In seven states, DC, and Puerto Rico, minority patients accounted for at least 75 percent of all health center patients tested for COVID-19.
- Of those health center patients who tested positive for COVID-19, 63 percent were identified as racial/ ethnic minorities.
- Health centers reported the temporary closure of 1,779 sites, or approximately one in seven sites nationally and compared to their pre-COVID-19 visit volume, health centers reported a 47 percent decrease in the volume of visits nationally.
- Health centers reported a rise in telehealth visits, reporting on average that 54 percent of visits for any health center service in the week prior to the survey were conducted virtually.
The data note was authored by Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, James Hernandez, Maria Velasquez, Rebecca Morris, Sara Rosenbaum, Feygele Jacobs.