About VCHA

The vision of the Virginia Community Healthcare Association is for the Commonwealth of Virginia to have the healthiest population in America.

Virginia Community Healthcare Association (VCHA), established in 1980, is a non-profit membership organization that serves as the primary care association for Virginia’s thirty community health centers and look-alike health centers. Membership in VCHA is open to all Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Center look-alikes operating delivery sites in Virginia.

VCHA supports its health centers in their mission to provide access to health care regardless of geographic location or ability to pay. VCHA works with health centers, community leaders, and partners to enhance access to affordable, high-quality health care and to find solutions for expanding access to care in areas that need it most.

VCHA is an integral part of Virginia’s health safety net, which includes Virginia’s Community Health Centers (CHCs), nonprofit rural health clinics, community-based providers of primary care, and health departments providing primary care services, and other similar organizations.

What We Do

VCHA supports our members by providing a variety of resources to enhance key areas of operations, including clinical, recruitment, finance, Board of Directors training, communications, and advocacy.

Training

VCHA provides training on topics important to members, such as continuing education for health professionals, Board of Directors responsibilities and revenue maximization.

Technical Assistance and Consulting

VCHA provides ongoing technical assistance and consultation for established centers, and organizing communities, on topics ranging from practice development to marketing to managed care.

Provider Recruitment

VCHA employs a provider recruitment specialist to assist members in securing and keeping health care providers. The Association also facilitates locum tenens (temporary physician) coverage for member centers.

Cost Savings Through Cooperative Purchasing

VCHA offers several cooperative buying programs including: liability insurance coverage, medical and office supplies, reference laboratory services, long distance phone services, patient billing statement preparation, and more.

Advocacy and Policy

As advocates for our member health centers, VCHA monitors federal, state and local public policy activities, and works with elected officials to ensure our health centers have optimal resources and support. We engage our member organizations their constituents and the media to amplify the important work of our health centers to influence decisions.

VCHA is a well-known influencer in primary health care policy development for the improvement of access to primary care and prevention services.

Advocate

Educate

Elevate