The important role of community health centers to vulnerable communities.

For the most vulnerable Americans, these clinics are trusted and accessible. And they're vital to vaccine rollout. Federally Qualified Health Centers could be key to vaccinating hard-hit populations, experts say. They're now set to get extra doses. YahooNews

When the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began, 72-year-old Jewelean Jackson looked to Dr. Chris Reif, her longtime physician at the local Community-University Health Care Center in South Minneapolis, for reassurance.

Could she trust it? What would she tell her fellow Black neighbors when they asked if it was safe?

Similarly, doctors looked to her for insight into how they could help instill vaccine confidence in communities of color.

“Today I had the second immunization, and Dr. Reif administered it, so that was special,” Jackson, a certified community health educator and former chair of the clinic’s governing committee, said Friday.

More than 80% of patients at the clinic are Black, indigenous or other people of color, said the clinic’s CEO Colleen McDonald Diouf. Many suffer from chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, require language assistance or are homeless. A couple years ago, the city’s largest homeless encampment was right across the street.

All those factors combined, the center’s patients are especially vulnerable to contracting and experiencing complications from COVID-19, making the clinic an anchor for patients amid the pandemic.

It’s a familiar story at Federally Qualified Health Centers – commonly known as community health centers – across the country. The designated clinics offer health care to underserved communities, and as people of color continue to suffer disproportionately from the virus, the centers could be essential in vaccinating hard-hit populations, experts say.

Nationwide, community health centers serve about 30 million patients. Two-thirds of them live at or below poverty, and half are racial or ethnic minorities. Most are uninsured or on Medicaid. ...