✅ Plan for Patient Care Continuity 

• Develop strategy for scheduling, triage, chronic disease management and medication access and management.

• Create clear protocols for emergency referrals, medication refills, after-hours care and telehealth options.

• Identify core services that must remain operational.

• Consider temporarily suspending or consolidating lower-priority programs.

✅ Communicate With Patients

• Create FAQ to help staff respond to questions, dispel rumors, and provide accurate information.

• Emphasize your continued commitment and compassion to all patients. Let them know they can still feel safe in your Health Center.

• Acknowledge impacts to members of specific targeted groups, e.g., providers screen for impacts such as immigrants who are afraid to send their children to school. Let them know you “see them” and you care.

• Be transparent about the health center’s funding status.

• Be creative in using all available communication channels: social media, texts, messaging opportunities within your phone system, TV in waiting room, handouts, poster.

• Tailor your communications to the characteristics and diversity of your own community and how recent changes may affect them.

✅ Document Impact

• Track and compile data on the number of patients who have lost services or experienced adverse outcomes due to the funding loss.

• Create a dashboard or presentation-ready data displays to use in advocacy, public relations efforts and to respond to requests for information.

✅ Leverage External Collaborations

• Engage with stakeholders, local government representatives, health organizations, and patient advocacy groups. Join forces with leaders of other organizations that serve the same populations as partners to share information and strategize: What is happening and how can we collectively continue to take care of our people? Community Action Agencies, Health Department, behavioral health provider organizations, women's shelters, homeless services, food pantries, hospitals etc.

• Start by contacting other leaders individually, and then suggest coordination as a group via in person or virtual meetings, email lists, etc.

• Keep your local information and referral system (e.g., 211) up-to-date on service changes, and find ways to leverage your region’s closed-loop referral system, if you have one.