Peter Shin, Chief Science Officer, NACHC Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science
Mark Robledo, Chief Executive Officer, Crossroads Group, Inc
For another consecutive year, Community Health Centers (CHCs) across the country have maintained patient satisfaction rates above 90%, with national scores continuing to rise. In a health care environment where many patients describe growing frustration with access, continuity, and affordability, these results signal something important – CHCs are sustaining trust at scale among the 52 million patients they serve.
Patient experience survey data collected from 2023 through 2025 show over 72% of CHC patients selected the highest possible rating of Excellent, and more than 92% reported positive overall satisfaction. These findings reflect more than one million patient responses across diverse geographies, payer types, and community settings, making this one of the largest longitudinal patient experience datasets in primary care.
This remarkable consistency reflects more than good service. It reflects a care model that works, designed around patients rather than transactions. CHCs are community-governed providers that integrate medical, dental, behavioral health, and enabling services under one roof. Over time, those attributes translate into stronger engagement, more reliable access, and better management of chronic conditions.
The recent increase in CHC federal funding for FY 2026 provides important short-term stability for CHCs, helping CHCs maintain access, support their workforce, and respond to rising demand. Alongside federal investments, Medicaid coverage and payment policies will shape how CHCs deliver high quality care and maintain high levels of patient satisfaction.
These results offer important lessons for the broader health system. Integrated, team-based primary care models grounded in community governance consistently deliver a positive patient experience at scale. This success extends across a national network of over 1500 CHCs, serving tens of millions of patients each year in 17,000 communities.
For policymakers, the value proposition is clear. CHCs care for one in 10 people in the US annually and approximately one in four Medicaid enrollees annually, while accounting for less than three percent of Medicaid spending. High patient satisfaction rates reinforce that this model delivers quality and value, even while serving populations with high clinical and social complexity.
At the patient level, these results reflect more than favorable survey responses. High satisfaction indicates patients feel heard, respected and supported. This trust strengthens long-term relationships between patients and care teams and reinforces the role of CHCs as stable anchors in the communities.
CHCs are not simply maintaining patient satisfaction. They are sustaining it at a level many health systems aspire to achieve. Continued attention to the full federal and state policy landscape is critical to ensuring CHC patient access to quality care that communities value.