Puerto Rico’s 21 community health centers (CHCs), operating across nearly 150 delivery sites, serve approximately 1 in 7 island residents. Amid recurring natural disasters, fragile infrastructure (particularly its electrical grid), capped Medicaid funding support, and persistent clinician shortages, these CHCs have become vital providers of primary care and behavioral, urgent, and emergency services.
This brief describes their recent evolution within such constraints and offers lessons applicable to vulnerable mainland communities confronting severe weather, workforce, and challenges with reliable access to health care.
