The UH Health Family Care Center, an on-campus health clinic that provides affordable, comprehensive and integrated primary care and mental health services to the University of Houston and its surrounding communities, achieved a major milestone this week when it received its Federally Qualified Health Center, or FQHC, Look-Alike designation from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
"Becoming an FQHC Look-Alike is no small feat. It required months of preparation, coordination and an unwavering focus on quality and compliance," said Neena Arora, assistant vice president and CEO of the Family Care Center. "This designation not only validates the exceptional work we're already doing, but it also opens new opportunities to expand our services, enhance access to care and better serve our community."
Achieving FQHC Look-Alike status means the Family Care Center is meeting the standards of a full FQHC while not receiving any federal funding. This ensures the provider can offer its services on a sliding fee scale and operate with a patient-governed board, while adhering to the HRSA Health Center Program's requirements.
"Earning this designation is a powerful validation of the quality, commitment and compassion that define the Family Care Center. It not only strengthens our credibility as a trusted health care provider, but it also significantly enhances our capacity to reach and serve more individuals and families in need across our community." - Dr. Jonathan McCullers, vice president of health affairs at UH and dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
The Family Care Center opened in November 2022 and is one of the pillars of UH's interdisciplinary, value-based health care model. Staffed by physicians, psychologists and medical students, it is a place where patients can go for all of their family's health care needs – from behavioral health and pediatrics to internal medicine and obstetrics.
Some of the areas served by the FCC are home to the highest rates of chronic disease in Houston. But Dr. Diana Grair, the FCC's medical director, believes the new FQHC Look-Alike designation will help to change that.
"This reinforces our culture of treating patients as partners in their health care journeys, respecting their unique needs and backgrounds," Grair said. "Our approach builds trust, strengthens relationships and keeps our patients and their families coming back, knowing they are valued and supported every step of the way – and the FQHC Look-Alike designation will greatly enhance our efforts."
