Can Community Health Center Funding Enhance Health Services for Native American Tribes and Organizations?

This paper reports on the applicability of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC, 254b) Section 330 Community Health Center program to Arizona Native American tribes and organizations. Data review and analysis consisted of a review of two federal government documents concerning the funding of Community Health Center applications and a review of questionnaire responses received from the Arizona Native American health care community. Findings indicate a general lack of knowledge among the Arizona Native American health care community about the program as well as a need for capacity building among Arizona Native American tribes and organizations. As currently designed, the program has built-in barriers that prevent Native American tribes and organizations from applying for funding. Changes must be made to the existing program and local-level seminars must be offered to make this program and funding more readily available to Arizona Native American tribes and organizations.