About AACHC

Rich Polheber
Chief Executive Officer of AACHC

Chief Executive Officer, Rich Polheber, began working at the Arizona Association of Community Health Centers (AACHC) on January 4, 2010. The Arizona Association of Community Health Centers is the Primary Care Association (PCA) for the state of Arizona.

Rich has served in a variety of healthcare and community service roles for thirty-six years and has called Tucson, Arizona, his home since 1974.

Rich earned his MBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Chicago and he earned a B.S in Mathematics from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois.

Rich looks forward to working with the Association and increasing access to primary healthcare for the citizens of Arizona.

About AACHC

The Arizona Association of Community Health Centers (AACHC) is the Primary Care Association (PCA) for the State of Arizona. All states have one designated PCA in order to advance both the expansion of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC's) and advocate for the health care interests of the medically underserved and uninsured.

The AACHC as a result has many programs to assist member community health centers and the disadvantaged populations they serve. These programs vary from centralizing financial information and educational opportunities for members to the recent creation of an association sponsored and HRSA financed health care provider network for the uninsured in Maricopa County, (greater Phoenix) Arizona. More than 60% of the 5.9 million people in Arizona live in Maricopa County.

The Association, a non profit 501c3 tax exempt organization, also offers an array of other programs all designed to actively improve the health status of the indigent and medically underserved in our state. Arizona has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the United States at 38th in the United States. Arizona also has the third highest rate of uninsured (17.6%) people in the country, behind Texas with 26% and Louisiana. Arizona as a result also provides Medicaid benefits to more than one million residents of our state, nearly 18% of our population. Most Medicaid recipients or beneficiaries are under nine years of age.

Through association programs such as Outreach and Enrolment, we accelerate eligibility determination for government funded health programs; our community development program assists rural communities and our existing membership in creating or expanding medical services to underserved areas in order to create more access to health care.

The Association's physician recruitment program is a more recent venture to assist members in locating medical professionals for community health centers, while the advocacy program informs and educates state and federal public officials and other policy makers about the distinct health care resources required to provide equal access to health care services.

We proudly manage one of the most diverse array of health related programs in the United States. However, all staff and Board members share one common mission or goal. Simply stated, that is to improve the health status of individuals and families who need primary care services and may not have the financial resources, or health insurance to pay for them. Achieving this mission will result in a more productive workforce, a more equitable distribution of health care services and a much healthier Arizona for all of us. Equally important is the fact that America's spiraling health care costs will decrease only if primary and preventive healthy care services can truly become "universal."

We appreciate your "stopping by" our website for a view of our activities. Community Health Centers in Arizona, with more than one hundred primary care locations, continue to need support and resources to advance their mission. If you would like to help, call us for more information at 602-253-0090.