FQHC Financial Pressures Draw National Attention, With Insight From AAFCPAs
HealthLeaders (April 10, 2026) – AAFCPAs was recently featured in a HealthLeaders article “The Hardest Year Yet: How This FQHC Is Fighting to Regain Financial Footing,” which examines rising financial strain across federally qualified health centers.
In the article, Courtney McFarland, CPA, MSA, 340B Apexus Certified Expert™, Partner at AAFCPAs, describes how expenses are outpacing funding across the FQHC sector, leading to operating losses and tighter liquidity. Maggie Brennan, president and CEO of AAFCPAs’ Massachusetts-based client North Shore Community Health, shares how they are confronting rising no-shows, delayed payments, and thin margins by reworking operations and tightening financial controls.
For many FQHCs, the pressures are showing up in practical, day-to-day ways, from rising operating costs to delayed reimbursements and increasing volatility in patient coverage. In the article, Maggie and Courtney highlight how organizations such as NSCH are responding with closer attention to performance metrics, more disciplined financial planning, and a stronger focus on near-term stability.
In some cases, centers are operating with limited cash reserves or relying on lines of credit to maintain operations. Leadership teams are revisiting long-standing assumptions, reassessing service lines, and planning across shorter time horizons to maintain financial footing while continuing to serve their communities.
Visit HealthLeaders’ full article to explore how these challenges are unfolding across the sector and how organizations are adapting.
How AAFCPAs Helps FQHCs Strengthen Financial Stability
AAFCPAs provides CPA and advisory solutions to federally qualified health centers nationwide. Our healthcare practice supports organizations as they navigate complex funding streams, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and federal and state grant requirements, along with evolving care models such as telehealth and behavioral health integration. AAFCPAs helps strengthen financial stability, improve operational insight, and respond to shifting reimbursement and regulatory conditions while continuing to serve communities.
These insights were contributed by Courtney McFarland, CPA, MSA, 340B Apexus Certified Expert™, Partner.
Questions? Reach out to our author directly or your AAFCPAs partner.
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