Ascend Healthcare expands specialty care across rural communities. August 12, 2026 By Dani Gehrke 43 Total Views 1 Daily Views Table of contents. For community health centers serving rural and frontier communities, providing behavioral health care to patients in need can be challenging. Between providers stretched beyond capacity and limited access to specialty services available within the community, Oregon health centers expressed interest in resources to strengthen the health workforce and improve infrastructure for care delivery. The Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) has shared these challenges with corporate partner Ascend Healthcare to identify strategies to support our members. Case study. Ascend Healthcare collaborates with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to build fully integrated behavioral health programs that combine operational support, compliance guidance, and ongoing clinical services oversight. In a new case study, Ascend shares how its partnership with Canyonlands Healthcare, an Arizona-based FQHC, expanded specialty behavioral health access across 11 rural locations. In just one year, the program added more than 1,000 patient encounters while improving depression remission and substance use disorder treatment engagement. Discover how Ascend's support has led to measurable improvements. 0.8minutes Total Views: 43 Daily Views: 1