Primary Care Associations (PCA), like the SCPHCA, grew out of a critical need for community-based health care programs to work together to continually expand access to high quality health care services, particularly in rural and disadvantaged communities.  These individual community-based organizations recognized the need for a network to connect their organizations and establish a bridge between those who live and work in communities and the governmental and regulatory agencies that affect health policy and allocate resources.  Building that bridge dates back to the early 1970s, when statewide organizations were founded in Massachusetts, New York, and California.  Regional associations in the Southeast and Midwest began shortly thereafter, and other states and regions were added to the list later in the decade.   During the early 1980s the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help develop PCAs.  That provided the impetus for major expansion, with the network growing to a total of 42.  Today there are 55 PCAs – 49 at the state level, four representing two states each, and two coordinating activities for a larger geographic area.  Each PCA provides its member organizations with a wide array of services including planning, needs assessment, training, technical assistance, community relations, and advocacy.