Healthcare Happens Locally: Transforming Primary Care in America
Access to high-quality primary care is a fundamental right. Yet, in the United States, millions of individuals and families lack a reliable source of this care. It is a problem that has dire consequences, from poor health outcomes to high costs and significant health inequities.
Primary Care for All Americans (PC4AA) seeks to address these issues by championing a grassroots approach to healthcare transformation. PC4AA is a movement to build a healthcare system for the U.S. to make sure every person has a relationship with a primary care clinician and team. PC4AA believes that everyone should have access to this essential care, no matter where they live. By making sure everyone has a primary care relationship, it intends to make healthcare fair, affordable, and effective for everyone in the country.
In October 2024, Elation shared PC4AA’s playbook on how to mobilize at a state level, including leveraging state-level resources and policy levers for change. This month, Elation helps share even more localized ways to be a changemaker, and how individuals can take action to transform healthcare within their own neighborhoods and communities for change.
As you consider how your actions and voice can contribute to a national movement, here are three takeaways from the newest playbook to keep in mind.
Transformation starts in the community. Communities are the testing grounds for innovative policies and programs that can scale to state and national levels. Local workgroups play a pivotal role in identifying barriers and gaps in primary care access, building coalitions across stakeholders, advocating for policies and programs tailored to their unique needs; and demonstrating local successes, which can inspire broader initiatives.
There are many ways to take action in your own area. First, assemble a local workgroup of volunteers to help your community take responsibility for providing primary care to everyone. Practical steps you can use to improve access to high-quality care include closing gaps, addressing barriers, and mobilizing experts to make change. This can be done through:
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Building local coalitions: Engage healthcare providers, social organizations, government, and community members in your coalition-building work.
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Adopting innovative care models: Leverage solutions like Direct Primary Care (DPC) and community health alliances alongside the talents and wisdom of community health workers and multidisciplinary teams.
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Resolving community-focused barriers: Specific needs like language barriers, cultural competence, and supporting underserved populations are different from community to community, creating multiple opportunities for local leaders to get involved and address local barriers that lead to gaps in care.
A long-term vision is achieved through incremental wins. Achieving universal access to primary care will take years, but progress is built on small, measurable victories. Local groups should set clear goals, celebrate milestones, and share lessons learned. Sustainability comes from investing in relationships, adapting to challenges, and maintaining a shared vision for equitable, accessible healthcare.
By taking action in your community, you’re contributing to a national movement that has the potential to transform lives. Together, let’s build a system where everyone, everywhere, has access to the primary care they deserve.
