THREE ESSAYS ON FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS: COMPETITION, PATIENT-CENTERD MEDICAL HOME ADOPTION, QUALITY QUARTILES RANKING AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The following three essays examine the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) industry. The first essay attempts to provide a description on what constitutes a competitive environment for FQHCs located in California, the second explores the impact of FQHC market competition on Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) adoption, and the third essay aims to test the relationship between the adoption of PCMH and FQHCs’ performance. The first essay utilizes Porter's Five Forces model to identify competitive forces in the FQHCs environment to fill a gap in the literature. Building on the first essay, the second essay using Porter’s generic strategies explores the impact of FQHC market competition on PCMH adoption among FQHCs in California. The third essay using a Resource-Based View of the Firm perspective tests to see if a relationship exists between the adoption of PCMH and FQHCs’ quality and financial performances.