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Scope of Project

Health center scope of project defines a health center’s approved service sites, services, providers, service area, and target populations.

The scope of project includes:

Service Sites

A service site is defined as a location where providers:

  • Conduct face-to-face visits with patients and document those encounters in the patients’ medical records.
  • Exercise independent judgment when delivering these services, meaning they, as trained medical or healthcare professionals, can diagnose and treat the patients themselves.
  • Deliver services by, or on behalf of, the health center, which means the health center’s governing board must have control and authority over the services provided at the location.
  • Deliver services on a regularly scheduled basis.

A location that does NOT meet one or more parts of the definition cannot be added as a service site to the health center Scope of Project.

Services
All health centers must provide a set of required primary health care services. In addition, a health center may provide additional health services to meet the needs of its patients.

Providers
Providers deliver health care services to patients on behalf of a health center. A health center may directly employ or contract with providers, set up formal arrangements with other organizations, or use volunteer providers.

Service Area
A service area is where most of a health center’s current patients live. The health center ensures that the service area has specific boundaries that reduce barriers to care and is a size that allows access to services for everyone living in the area, including identified medically underserved populations in that area.

Target Population
Health centers must serve a medically underserved population or one or more special medically underserved populations as their target population. Special medically underserved populations include migratory and seasonal agricultural workers, people experiencing homelessness, and residents of public housing.

For more details on elements of scope of project, refer to PIN 2008-01: Defining Scope of Project & Policy for Requesting Changes (PDF - 224 KB)

Explore Scope of Project

Learn Why Maintaining an Accurate Scope of Project is Important
Find out why it is important to have an accurate scope of project.

Learn How to Document Health Center Scope of Project
Learn how to accurately document the HRSA-approved scope of project.

Scope of Project Resources
See scope of project resources to support maintaining an accurate scope of project.

Contact Us

EHB-related questions?
Contact Health Center Program Support or call: 1–877–464–4772 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET., Monday through Friday (except federal holidays).

Other Change in Scope questions?

Reach out to your BPHC point of contact.

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