Current Affiliations of members of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry with Community Heath Centers

Background: From 2008 to 2015, there was a 27% growth in the number of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and a 42% increase in the number of patients served by FQHCs. The most current formal data available regarding the number of affiliations between FQHCs and optometric institutions is from 2008. This project quantified the number of schools and colleges of optometry that have affiliations with FQHCs and determined if that number has increased in proportion with the growth of FQHCs. Methods: Electronic surveys though Google Forms were sent to a specified person at each Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry member institution. The survey was designed to determine the number of affiliations with FQHCs, the types of those affiliations, and the scope of community-based primary optometric care at FQHCs. Results: There are 47 total FQHCs that have active agreements with the optometry schools. At least 21 individual FQHC affiliations with schools have been made since 2006 and those affiliations are distributed among 14 different schools. In total, 18 schools have a formal affiliation with FQHCs. The percentage increase of total schools from 2008 to 2018 is 29.41% and the percentage increase of schools with CHC affiliations is 63.64%. Conclusions: The rate of growth of FQHC affiliations is greater than the development of new optometry schools. This study can serve as groundwork for any future public health research, policy reforms, and general data that is overdue to be collected. This survey also established a directory of optometrists who work at FQHCs, which can be used to facilitate future collaborations