Community-oriented primary care (COPC) has been widely discussed as an approach by which a primary care program may modify and more specifically address the health care needs of its service population. However, efforts to achieve COPC have been inconsistent and based on an incomplete operational model. This paper presents an operational definition of COPC that identifies discrete steps that may be taken by any primary care practice or program as it attempts to more fully develop a community-oriented approach to primary care. The model provides a conceptual basis for further progress in research, education, and the practice of COPC.