People that work in the healthcare field are compassionate caregivers who are passionate about helping people. This is nowhere more exemplified than in a subset of healthcare called community health. Community healthcare organizations work with underserved or at-risk populations around the United States. These areas are rural or urban poor and they hold a special place within the healthcare continuum. Each of these centers of excellence are devoted to the region they serve, making them a unique part of their community and the healthcare spectrum. If you’re not intrigued by this mission, perhaps it’s the opportunities inherent in working in these facilities that will resonate. Why work for a community health center? Here’s why.
Great Job Opportunities
It’s a buyer’s market in healthcare right now. Healthcare facilities added another 16.3k new jobs in May of this year alone. This year, too, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) granted $227 million to training programs to build new skilled workers in the community health field. This translates to more jobs, higher salaries, and bigger opportunities for healthcare workers across the board. We should also mention there are jobs for people with all skillsets and experience levels in the community healthcare field.
Higher Job Satisfaction
If you are going into healthcare because you want to serve people, there is no better place than in the community healthcare field. Most of the clients seeking care from your local federally qualified health center (FQHC) are low income and uninsured. That makes working in these facilities highly rewarding. Community healthcare organizations provide a critical safety net for communities who have been marginalized or are at the bottom of the income bracket. They are often lodged within a slice of America that is rural or urban poor. Not only is the mission-driven work with these populations an attractant, one therapist working in the field says the benefits include, “a close-knit community, the ability to easily communicate and collaborate with others, and the ability…to integrate training and liaison with other disciplines.”
Compensation and Loan Repayment
Many states have moved to give frontline healthcare workers a raise since COVID. Although many in community healthcare say it’s the mission that attracted them, the salaries are competitive and the growth potential high. But even more attractive than the mission and salary is the fact that there are scholarships, loans, and even loan forgiveness programs for anyone considering working in the community healthcare sector. Given that nearly 70% of healthcare students graduate with loan debt averaging $200,000, this is an attractive incentive to join the community healthcare field.
Varied, Meaningful Work
Every day in community healthcare is different. When you’re serving an entire population within your facility, no two days will be the same. This task variety is highly desirable for most clinical workers, because they will hone their triage and treatment skills while experiencing the variety that comes from working in community health. To put it simply, no two days are the same in community healthcare. For most of us, that makes for an enticing job description.
UHC Solutions specializes in placing skilled workers into community healthcare facilities. Call on us to explore your options.
