Community health centers across the nation will be seeing an infusion of capital after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $727 million in grants. Ranging in size from $500,000 for a clinic in Sacramento, Calif., to $12 million for a neighborhood health center in Mount Vernon, N.Y., the federal grants are being issued as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Community health centers service nearly 19 million patients annually, about 40 percent of whom have no health insurance, according to and HHS report. The centers deliver preventive and primary care services at more than 7,900 service delivery sites around the country to patients regardless of their ability to pay; charges for services are set according to income.
"These funds from the Affordable Care Act will help get more people care in some communities where there have not been many options in the past," said Secretary Sebelius. "The newly constructed or expanded community health centers will provide care to an additional 745,000 patients and much needed employment opportunities in both rural and urban underserved communities."
"Many of these community health centers need more modern space to meet the increasing patient demand for services, Health Resources and Services Administrator, Mary K. Wakefield. "These funds will help community health centers build new facilities and modernize their current sites in their continuing effort to provide the best care possible to more and more people in need."
The Capital Development program grants, administered by HRSA, will support major construction and renovation at 143 community health centers nationwide. This builds on the more than $2 billion investment in community health centers in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
A state by state list of Recovery Act investments in community health centers is available at https://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/hrsa/index.html .