title: Rewards and challenges of community health center practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More than 1100 community health centers (CHCs) in the United States provide primary care to 20 million underserved patients annually. CHCs have struggled to recruit and retain qualified physicians.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand physicians' work experiences in CHCs and identify major sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using purposeful sampling, we conducted semistructured interviews with 12 family physicians practicing in CHCs. Interview questions assessed physicians' experiences in CHCs and sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Interview notes were coded and analyzed by 2 investigators using a grounded theory approach to identify key themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Though family physicians feel tremendous satisfaction from care of underserved patients, they are frustrated with the overwhelming workload they experience. Family physicians also report poor administrative management while working in CHCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which relies on expansion of CHC services, may be adversely affected by family physicians' frustrations with CHC practice. Further research to explore and potentially improve the CHC work environment may be needed.
authors: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors: Allison M
authors: AM
authors: Cole
authors: Frederick M
authors: FM
authors: Chen
authors: Paul A
authors: PA
authors: Ford
authors: William R
authors: WR
authors: Phillips
authors: Nancy G
authors: NG
authors: Stevens
mesh_terms: D003151:Community Health Centers; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload
keywords: community health centers; job satisfaction; physicians; primary health care; qualitative