Characteristics of CHCs

A Community Health Centre (CHC) has the following characteristics:

1. It is a non-profit or government-sponsored organization, governed by a locally-elected board of directors or an advisory board comprised mostly of local residents and/or clients.
   
   
2. It may be defined by a geographic area, or by a group or groups of people who have experienced barriers in accessing primary health services.
   
   
3. It offers a range of primary health care services and programs (including primary care, social, rehabilitation, and other non-institutional services) with an emphasis on prevention, health promotion, health education, and community development.
   
   
4. It works in partnership with organizations in other sectors, such as education, justice, recreation and economic development, to promote the health of the local community and to address "social determinants of health".
   
   
5. It uses inter-professional teams of nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, chiropodists, dietitians, therapists, social workers, community health workers and other service and programs staff to provide services.
   
   
6. It remunerates its staff, including healthcare professionals, by salary and/or capitation.

A CHC is defined as an agency or a component of a broader health network that is governed:

1. by a majority of locally representative directors on board of directors, or
   
   by a board of directors of the broader health network having an advisory committee made up of a majority of locally representative directors
   
   
2. Serves an identifiable community where individuals and their families have a sense of local identity and/or collective empowerment and where they can participate in local decision-making  This includes urban neighbourhoods, rural areas and diverse communities of individuals with common characteristics: for example, youth, newcomers, seniors, women and other groups. 
   
   
3. Provides primary health care services with health promotion and community development as integral parts.
   
   
4. Has responsibility for the identifiable community to maintain or ameliorate the health and well-being of its population, thereby working in partnership with other agencies providing health services as well as other sectors (social services, justice, education, etc).
   
   
5. Uses inter-professional teams of providers and program staff from various health and social disciplines, as well as volunteers.
   
   
6. Remunerates the large majority of human resources in all disciplines by similar funding arrangements (e.g. salary and sessional fees or capitation) rather than fee-for-service.
   
   
7. The CHC is the first point of contact and principally offers a range of primary health, social, rehabilitation and other non-institutional services where the accent is on prevention, health promotion, health education, and community development provided in the community. It works in partnership with organizations in other sectors, such as education, justice, recreation and economic development, in developing a healthy local community.