Affordable Care Act Impact on Community Health Center Staffing and Enrollment: A Cross-Sectional Study


  • Abstract

    Over 500 000 Washingtonians gained health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As more patients gain insurance, community health centers (CHCs) expect to see an increase in demand for their services. This article studies the CHCs in Washington State to examine how the increase in patients has been impacting their workload and staffing. We found a reported mean increase of 11.7% and 5.4% in new Medicaid and Exchange patients, respectively. Half of the CHCs experienced large or dramatic workload impact from the ACA. Our findings suggest that CHCs need further workforce support to meet the expanding patient demand.


  • Authors:

    Miller SC, Frogner BK, Saganic LM, Cole AM, Rosenblatt RA

  • Journal/Publisher:

    Journal of Ambulatory Care Management

  • Edition:

    Oct 2016. 39(4):299-307

  • Link to Article

    Access the article here: Journal of Ambulatory Care Management

  • Citation:

    Miller SC, Frogner BK, Saganic LM, Cole AM, Rosenblatt RA. Affordable Care Act Impact On Community Health Center Staffing And Enrollment: A Cross-sectional Study. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. Oct 2016 39(4):299-307