A healthcare center, health center, or
community health center is one of a network of clinics staffed by a group of
general practitioners and nurses providing healthcare services to people in a
certain area. Typical services covered are family practice and dental care, but
some clinics have expanded greatly and can include internal medicine, paediatric,
women’s care, family planning, pharmacy, optometry, laboratory testing, and
more. In countries with universal healthcare, most people use the healthcare centres.
In countries without universal healthcare, the clients include the uninsured,
underinsured, low-income or those living in areas where little access to
primary health care is available. [citation needed] In the Central and East
Europe, bigger health centers are commonly called policlinics (not to be
confused with polyclinics).
