Ownership type and community benefits of women's health centers

An important aspect of the changing health care system is the growth of wom en's health centers-organizations that design and deliver services to women . This growth has generated interest in the behavior of centers, especially because of increasing awareness of women's health issues. Using data from the 1994 National Survey of Women's Health Centers, the authors examined th e association between ownership of centers and 12 measures of community ben efits, and 296 nonprofit and 108 for-profit centers were compared. Overall, the nonprofits performed better than the for-profits in terms of serving u nderserved women, delivering comprehensive primary care services, providing training for health professionals and education services for clients and t he community, and involving the community in center governance. Among women 's health centers, the results show that ownership matters, and indicate th e importance of supporting providers who serve the underserved and developi ng a standard of community benefits.