St Joseph Health Rural Health Clinic

St Joseph Health Rural Health Clinic is a Medicare-certified Rural Health Clinic serving Fortuna, California. A Medicare-certified Rural Health Clinic provides primary care services in rural, medically underserved areas. RHCs help ensure access to healthcare in communities with limited healthcare resources.

Rural Health Clinics were established to address the shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas. RHCs must be located in non-urbanized areas designated as medically underserved and must employ mid-level practitioners such as nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

Medicare and Medicaid provide enhanced reimbursement to RHCs to help maintain access to primary care services in rural communities. RHCs provide a range of outpatient services including medical visits, preventive care, and chronic disease management.

For more information about rural health services, visit the HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy.