As the nation mourns the passing of President Jimmy Carter, we reflect on his extraordinary commitment to community health and human dignity. His vision for healthcare accessibility began during his presidency, when he championed the Rural Health Initiative in 1975, which led to funding for 47 new health centers. By the next year, it had grown to 138 new health centers. By 1977, Congress passed the Rural Health Clinic Services Act, which increased Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates and allowed payment for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rural health centers.
“President Carter’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the Community Health Center (CHC) Movement, exemplified by his warm welcome of health center advocates to the White House,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, President and CEO of NACHC. “His visionary leadership and profound understanding of primary care’s importance laid the initial groundwork for building access to rural CHCs, which today serve nearly 10 million rural Americans—one in five rural residents—across 6,500 locations. Carter’s early recognition of CHCs’ vital role in community health and wellness helped establish them as cornerstone institutions in rural health delivery.”
President Carter’s dedication to health extended beyond his presidency. Together with his wife Rosalynn, he established The Carter Center, an organization that would become a powerful force for human rights and disease prevention worldwide. Under their leadership, the Center achieved remarkable success in nearly eradicating Guinea worm disease, a devastating parasitic infection that once affected millions through contaminated drinking water.
His commitment to health was both personal and profound. “I think all Americans believe in human rights. And health is an often-overlooked aspect of basic human rights,” Carter once reflected, drawing from his early experiences as the son of a registered nurse. “Many of the diseases that we treat around the world, I knew when I was a child… They no longer exist in our country.” President Carter’s legacy in health – from expanding rural health centers to tackling industry costs, from fighting neglected diseases to championing mental health – reflects his fundamental belief that health is a human right, not a privilege. His life’s work continues to inspire and guide our mission to ensure accessible, high quality, affordable, comprehensive primary care for all.