Primary care in public housing: Voices of clinicians

The Public Housing Primary Care (PHPC) Program, created under the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 and administered by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), enables 40 community health centers across the country to expand their primary care services to residents of public housing. These health centers are located on the premises of public housing, or at locations immediately accessible to residents. Public Housing Primary Care programs utilize partnerships with public housing authorities and resident/tenant organizations to facilitate the delivery of services, including collaboration with state and local managed care systems. Residents are actively involved in the design of services and program governance, and are routinely trained or employed as outreach workers and case managers. The goal of these partnerships is to have increased self management skills in disease prevention and health promotion. (author introduction)