Health Center Program - Florida Atlantic University (FAU), in partnership with its co-applicant, the Northwest Community Health Alliance, Inc. (NCHA), is submitting this New Access Point (NAP) application to continue and expand its health services to underserved populations in West Palm Beach, Florida. The applicant, FAU, is a public university based in Boca Raton, Florida and the co-applicant, NCHA, is a Florida non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Together, they operate the FAU/NCHA Community Health Center (FAU/NCHA CHC) under a public entity model, as outlined in the Co-Applicant Agreement that went into effect on April 1, 2019. The NCHA Board meets all Section 330 requirements, ensuring that governance is fully aligned with federal standards for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The area served is made up of 15 Zip Codes in Palm Beach County, covering most of the City of West Palm Beach and one other County township. The FAU/NCHA CHC sites are located in an MUP, as is much of the service area. The entire service area is designated as Primary Care, Dental, and Mental Health HPSAs. In 2023, the health center served 2,795 patients, 75.5% of whom came from the service area Zip Codes. The FAU/NCHA CHC service area, home to 510,507 people, is characterized by significant racial and ethnic diversity, with notably higher proportions of Hispanic and Black residents compared to Palm Beach County and Florida as a whole. While Palm Beach County is often associated with affluence, the FAU/NCHA CHC service area represents pockets of significant poverty, low educational attainment, and high rates of uninsurance. Needs assessments conducted by the health departments and FAU College of Nursing found the service area has a tremendous need for additional accessible and affordable medical and behavioral health services. In 2022, the area FQHCs, which have supported this application, served only 21.1% of the low income population of the service area Zip Codes and only 8.2% of the total population. The FAU/NCHA CHC is part of the fabric of health care in Palm Beach County and has partnered with the hospitals and a number of West Palm Beach organizations. The FAU/NCHA CHC currently operates two service sites. The first is the longstanding Westgate site (1650 Osceola Drive, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409), which has been operated by the FAU College of Nursing since 2014, and the second is the UB Kinsey site (720 8th Street, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401), established in the Northwest area of the city, home to the city’s highest concentration of minority populations and residents living in poverty. These strategic locations ensure that the center serves those most in need of equitable access to care. With NAP support, the FAU/NCHA CHC will expand its comprehensive primary care integrated with behavioral health services. The health center has formal agreements with two area medical centers and the major FQHC for services not provided directly. With NAP support, the FAU/NCHA CHC will improve health outcomes in the service area by expanding and enhancing its primary care, behavioral health, and enabling/outreach services and expects to serve at least 4,950 patients in the 2026 year.
