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 17, 2020, and summarizes key findings based on 1,032 health center responses. Key findings include:
- 85 percent of responding health centers reported that they have capacity to test for COVID-19. In twelve states, 100 percent of responding health centers have the ability to test.
- Health centers reported 58,362 patients were tested for COVID-19, ranging from five in Wyoming to 12,473 in California.
- Of those patients, 8,886 patients tested positive, with health centers in just three states accounting for 41 percent of all positive tests.
- Compared to their pre-COVID-19 visit volume, health centers reported a decrease in visits of 49 percent nationally, with health centers in 28 states reporting a decline in total visits of at least 50 percent.
- Nationally, more than half of all visits for the week prior to the survey were conducted virtually, while health centers in three states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont) reported that at least 75 percent of all visits were telehealth or telephonic visits.
The data note was authored by Peter Shin, Rebecca Morris, Jessica Sharac, Maria Velasquez, Sara Rosenbaum, Feygele Jacobs.