Office of Border Health

Community Health Councils

Community Health Councils are non-profit community-based health promotion, advocacy and policy organizations. Their mission is to improve health and increase access to quality health care for the uninsured, under-resourced and underserved populations. CHCs work to strengthen community participation in defining state and local policies that impact healthcare access and quality and to increase access for the uninsured, economically-disadvantaged and underserved. CHCs achieve their goals by mobilizing, organizing and empowering community and grassroots consumer groups that share its vision of a healthy, informed and proactive consumer population. They work through community collaborative efforts to identify the healthcare needs of existing and emerging communities. Community Health Councils serve in an advisory capacity based on efforts to improve the health and well-being of people in their area through a number of strategies and activities including: i) the development of a community health profile; ii) identifying and prioritizing health issues in their community; and iii) working together in partnership with other public and private community agencies, organizations and service providers in health education and health promotion efforts. CHCs also use the community profile to create action plans to address the identified problems in their communities, and seek financial support for these programs.