Healthcare Insights
Top 25 Federally Qualified Health Centers by visits and compensation
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have been important sources of treatment for underserved and low-income communities for years.
Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, these clinics experienced an influx in demand from a wave of newly insured patients. Increased federal funding and new incentives also encouraged physicians to practice in FQHCs. As a result, the positive impact FQHCs have on their communities grew increasingly important in states which expanded Medicaid. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that an estimated 26 million children and adults visited an FQHC in 2016.
Below, we’ve ranked the top 25 federally qualified health centers by both visits and total compensation.
Top 25 FQHCs by number of visits
| FQHC name | State | Definitive ID | Total visits | Total compensation | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omni Family Health | CA | 19264 | 6,281,024 | $864,935,187 | Explore |
| Golden Valley Health Centers | CA | 18976 | 2,335,663 | $370,976,782 | Explore |
| WellSpace Health | CA | 963305 | 2,322,795 | $452,580,193 | Explore |
| Borrego Community Health Foundation | CA | 18720 | 1,418,047 | $365,334,733 | Explore |
| Family Healthcare Network | CA | 19648 | 1,130,088 | $161,001,660 | Explore |
| Sun River Health (FKA Hudson River Healthcare Inc) | NY | 18855 | 651,284 | $192,507,771 | Explore |
| Community Health Centers of the Central Coast Inc | CA | 18628 | 611,747 | $59,306,443 | Explore |
| United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley | CA | 19779 | 599,891 | $63,679,162 | Explore |
| Ventura County Health Care Agency | CA | 19169 | 582,822 | $66,652,601 | Explore |
| County of Santa Clara FQHC | CA | 19226 | 532,093 | $129,292,761 | Explore |
| Clinica Sierra Vista | CA | 19516 | 517,373 | $126,149,110 | Explore |
| Community Health Center Incorporated | CT | 19798 | 463,632 | $84,649,877 | Explore |
| MCR Health (AKA Manatee County Rural Health Services Inc) | FL | 18837 | 435,025 | $54,368,013 | Explore |
| AltaMed Health Services Corporation | CA | 19016 | 430,911 | $39,042,429 | Explore |
| Family Health Centers of San Diego Inc | CA | 19331 | 417,259 | $445,472,263 | Explore |
| Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic | WA | 19399 | 407,844 | $1,309,995,831 | Explore |
| Sea Mar Community Health Centers | WA | 19207 | 401,455 | $155,541,432 | Explore |
| Cumberland Family Medical Center Inc | KY | 963272 | 380,832 | $42,354,090 | Explore |
| Access Community Health Network | IL | 19521 | 356,176 | $71,161,887 | Explore |
| Riverside County Health System | CA | 18641 | 350,660 | $51,392,262 | Explore |
| San Ysidro Health | CA | 19635 | 345,201 | $63,869,816 | Explore |
| Hudson Headwaters Health Network | NY | 18586 | 316,500 | $56,947,635 | Explore |
| Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation Inc | IL | 18495 | 313,240 | $40,040,499 | Explore |
| Rural Health Care Incorporated (AKA Aza Health) | FL | 18999 | 308,107 | $51,423,781 | Explore |
| El Rio Santa Cruz Neighborhood Health Center Inc | AZ | 19360 | 305,061 | $258,796,694 | Explore |
Fig 1. Data is sourced from the ClinicView product based on the 2022 Medicare Cost Report.
FQHCs generally operate in urban and rural settings, often functioning as safety-net providers or expanding healthcare access in sparsely populated areas. Unsurprisingly, the FQHCs with the highest visits are generally found in or near large cities.
Omni Family Health has the highest number of visits at 6,281,024. This FQHC has a network of clinics located outside Los Angeles and Bakersfield. A disproportionate number of high-volume FQHCs operate in California, likely due to the state’s high population and significant enrollment in Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid. The top 25 centers also had wide variations in total compensation.
Of the centers with the greatest number of patient visits, total compensation ranged from $42 million to $864 million. This isn’t necessarily a strong indicator of volume as some locations may be in rural areas, and many can be staffed by physician assistants or nurses rather than physicians.
Top 25 FQHCs by total compensation
| FQHC name | State | Definitive ID | Total compensation | Total visits | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic | WA | 19399 | $1,309,995,831 | 407,844 | Explore |
| Omni Family Health | CA | 19264 | $864,935,187 | 6,281,024 | Explore |
| WellSpace Health | CA | 963305 | $452,580,193 | 2,322,795 | Explore |
| Family Health Centers of San Diego Inc | CA | 19331 | $445,472,263 | 417,259 | Explore |
| Golden Valley Health Centers | CA | 18976 | $370,976,782 | 2,335,663 | Explore |
| Borrego Community Health Foundation | CA | 18720 | $365,334,733 | 1,418,047 | Explore |
| El Rio Santa Cruz Neighborhood Health Center Inc | AZ | 19360 | $258,796,694 | 305,061 | Explore |
| Sun River Health (FKA Hudson River Healthcare Inc) | NY | 18855 | $192,507,771 | 651,284 | Explore |
| Family Healthcare Network | CA | 19648 | $161,001,660 | 1,130,088 | Explore |
| Sea Mar Community Health Centers | WA | 19207 | $155,541,432 | 401,455 | Explore |
| County of Santa Clara FQHC | CA | 19226 | $129,292,761 | 532,093 | Explore |
| Clinica Sierra Vista | CA | 19516 | $126,149,110 | 517,373 | Explore |
| Multnomah County | OR | 19261 | $122,366,510 | 129,856 | Explore |
| Santa Rosa Community Health Centers | CA | 18700 | $113,698,950 | 154,287 | Explore |
| OneWorld Community Health Centers Inc | NE | 19417 | $111,103,839 | 159,021 | Explore |
| Jordan Valley Community Health Center (AKA Advocates for A Healthy Community Inc) | MO | 19085 | $90,904,965 | 140,771 | Explore |
| Shasta Community Health Center | CA | 19452 | $87,091,641 | 92,415 | Explore |
| Community Health Center Incorporated | CT | 19798 | $84,649,877 | 463,632 | Explore |
| Swope Health Services | MO | 19745 | $75,878,585 | 16,145 | Explore |
| Northeast Valley Health Corporation | CA | 19465 | $75,122,693 | 264,127 | Explore |
| Ingham County Health Department | MI | 19570 | $74,355,242 | 21,652 | Explore |
| Access Community Health Network | IL | 19521 | $71,161,887 | 356,176 | Explore |
| Blue Ridge Community Health Services Inc | NC | 19475 | $70,147,126 | 132,930 | Explore |
| Neighborhood Healthcare | CA | 19164 | $69,360,804 | 303,722 | Explore |
| Travis County Healthcare District (AKA Central Health) | TX | 18833 | $68,937,115 | 210,813 | Explore |
Fig 2. Data is sourced from the ClinicView product based on the 2022 Medicare Cost Report.
The Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic in Washington ranks at the top of our list with a total compensation of $1,309,995,831. This is one of the largest health centers in the Northwest and serves the Yakima Indian Reservation and communities across Washington state.
Again, the disproportionate number of California-based FQHCs is likely attributed to its population size and high number of people enrolled in Medicaid.
Among the top 25 FQHCs, total compensation ranged from about $68 million to over $1.3 billion. Total visits ranged from about 16,000 to 6.2 million.
What is an FQHC?
Federally Qualified Health Centers are community-driven nonprofit healthcare providers that serve patients and communities with limited access to medical care. These clinics use a sliding fee scale, which makes them accessible to all regardless of their ability to pay. FQHCs provide comprehensive primary and preventive care.
How many FQHCs are there in the U.S.?
According to data from ClinicView, there are over 1,400 official FQHC clinics across the U.S. However, FQHC Service Sites and Look-Alikes bring that total to 17,890.
FQHC Look-Alikes provide similar care services to members of the community with lower incomes. These facilities, however, differ from true FQHCs regarding federal support. Look-Alikes are not eligible for federal loan guarantees and malpractice coverage and do not receive HCP federal grant funding under the Section 330 Public Health Service Act.
What’s the difference between an FQHC and a community health center?
From a functional perspective, community health centers provide the same primary medical, dental and mental healthcare services to underserved communities that FQHCs deliver. However, a community health center specifically refers to a health facility that identifies as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and may not necessarily receive federal funding.
Learn more
Healthcare Insights are developed with healthcare commercial intelligence from the Definitive Healthcare platform. Looking for even deeper insights? Sign up for a free trial and get access to the latest healthcare commercial intelligence on hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers today.
You might also be interested in...
