Office of Primary Care
Primary Health Care
Primary Health Care Services include care given on initial contact and in the ambulatory setting. This health care is for:
- treatment for acute diseases,
- managing chronic diseases,
- continuity of care,
- using preventative measures,
- teaching, and
- Employing an understanding of emotional and social factors in the assessment and intervention for each individual client.
Primary Health Care encompasses all of the Life Cycles and consists of five major components:
- Accessibility
- Accountability
- Comprehensive Care
- Coordinated/Continuous Care
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
All of these components must be met to provide primary health care in the Nurse Managed Clinics (NMC), Rural Health Care/Training Centers (RHC/TC), Rural Health Clinics (RHC), Community Health Centers (CHC), and other types of health care.
A community health center is defined as consumer driven, providing primary health care services by state licensed professionals, which are also comprehensive in scope, coordinated within the community, acceptable, accessible, affordable, appropriate, and available. The Primary Care Office administers the State Community Health Center Operating Grant.
More information on Community Health Centers including a list and map.
Health Professional Shortage Areas/ Medically Underserved Areas
These are Federal Designations that are used to determine areas of most need. They are used for National Health Service Corp, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, J-1 Visa physician placement and many other programs.More information on Shortage Designations.
Programs needing Federal Designations.
State Office of Rural Health
The Indiana State Office of Rural Health was established in 1992 and is located in the Primary Health Care Office. The State Office of Rural Health administers the State Rural Health Program, the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (FLEX), and the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP). Collaboration is critical to the State Office of Rural Health; we develop and strengthen partnerships and work collaboratively with statewide rural-focused organizations in order to meet program core functions.
Beginning in 2007, SORH strengthened its commitment to rural EMS. The Trauma Task Force, the Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Board, and injury prevention fall under the SORH umbrella. SORH is also working on collaborative projects with Primary Care Office staff to leverage resources that will build community level networks among CAHs, federally qualified health centers, community health centers, rural health clinics, managed care organizations and local health departments.
Additional Information on the Programs in the State Office of Rural Health
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