BETHESDA, MD— The National Association for Community Health Center’s Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science is pleased to announce a partnership with Meharry Medical College and the Johns Hopkins University Press (JHUP) to elevate high-quality scholarship on pressing community health issues and access to primary care. Community Health Centers (CHCs) are the largest primary care system in the United States, serving nearly 34 million patients or at least 1 in 10 (including at least 1 in 5 in rural America) at more than 17,000 sites nationwide with a workforce of at least 326,000 staff.
Through this partnership, NACHC’s Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science will:
- Publish a regular column by NACHC leadership, beginning with a commentary by President and CEO, Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, titled “Celebrating 60 Years of Community Health Centers – Saving Lives, Costs, and Jobs,” in the Journal.
- Publish an annual supplement in the Journal dedicated to Community Health Centers, with the first issue focusing on rural health, scheduled for release at NACHC’s Policy and Issues Forum in February 2026.
- Give NACHC members free access to the Journal, where there are a myriad of articles covering the role and impact of CHCs and the patients they serve.
Published quarterly, the Journal is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to examining contemporary health care issues facing medically underserved communities. The Journal has been in existence for over 20 years and addresses critical topics in health care, including health care access, quality, costs, legislation, regulations, health promotion, and disease prevention in relation to underserved populations in North and Central America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. The Journal is widely recognized for its strong focus on community health, showcasing strategies, research, and innovations, including those developed by CHCs.
“As the leading organization representing the nation’s largest primary care system committed to patients, families, and communities of highest need, NACHC is delighted to partner with Meharry Medical College and the Johns Hopkins University Press to bring more attention to the excellent scholarship in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved,” said NACHC President and CEO, Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP. “By promoting CHC access and knowledge to the high-quality coverage of issues facing medically underserved communities, we can read and learn about what works and what doesn’t in, for, and with the communities that we serve. In addition to the more than 20-year archive of the Journal’s scholarship, NACHC members will have free access to the Journal’s timely quarterly issues and the annual supplement. This partnership helps to fulfill the mission of the new Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science to promote data-driven research about health care for populations often overlooked by mainstream medicine.”
“The Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved’s collaboration with the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science strengthens our shared mission to elevate scholarship focused on the health and well-being of underserved communities. It ensures that contemporary health challenges are brought to national attention with clarity and purpose.” – James E.K. Hildreth, PhD, MD, President and CEO, Meharry Medical College
“It is a privilege to make the expert research about the health issues facing underserved communities available to Community Health Center leaders. By opening access to the peer-reviewed scholarship of the stellar Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, we promote the importance of data-informed practice that is the legacy of Dr. John W. Hatch.” – Peter Shin, PhD, MPH, Chief Science Officer, NACHC
“This partnership brings to the forefront groundbreaking research from health centers serving medically underserved and historically dispossessed populations, fostering visibility, dialogue, and informed action.” – Anil Shanker, MS, PhD, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, Meharry Medical College
“For over 20 years, the Journals Division of the Johns Hopkins University Press has partnered with the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved and Meharry Medical College to publish peer-reviewed research content concerning the health and health care of the underserved. We are very pleased to now team up with the NACHC and its Dr. John W. Hatch Center for Science to amplify their shared mission and to widen the Journal’s and the Association’s reach and influence.” –William Breichner, Director and Publisher, Journals, Johns Hopkins University Press