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News Release

HHS AWARDS MORE THAN $60 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S
HEALTH CARE SAFETY NET, ASSURE SERVICES AVAILABLE WHERE NEEDED

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced more than $60 million in new funding to help the nation's health centers make services available to more rural and inner-city Americans, including many without health insurance.

The awards include 66 grants totaling more than $25.1 million to help existing health centers expand their capacity to make medical services available to an estimated 300,000 more Americans. In addition, Secretary Thompson announced $35 million in new funding to help more than 750 centers -- virtually the entire health center network -- cover costs resulting from increased demand for services. The latter awards range from $20,000 to $100,000 depending on the size of the health center and represent increases to the centers' base funding.

Both awards support President Bush's five-year initiative to expand health centers. Launched in 2002, the initiative will add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites and increase the number of patients served annually from about 11 million to 16 million by 2006.

"Health centers are critical components of a strong health care safety net for all Americans. They care for millions of Americans without health insurance, providing needed primary care, preventive services and specialized care to meet their needs," Secretary Thompson said. "With today's grants, we move closer to fulfilling President Bush's five-year expansion plan while shoring up the finances of existing centers so they can continue to provide community services to those in need."

Health centers deliver primary and preventive care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. About 40 percent of all patients treated at health centers have no insurance coverage, and many others have inadequate coverage. Charges for health care services are set according to income, and fees are not collected from the poorest patients.

HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages the Consolidated Health Center Program, which funds a national network of community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless centers and public housing primary care centers. Today's grants were announced at the first national conference for all of HRSA's primary care grantees.

"For more than 35 years, our health centers have been the foundation of America's health care safety-net. The base adjustments represent a needed boost for centers that meet great need with great effectiveness," HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke said. "These health centers offer high-quality, cost-effective services tailored to the most pressing health problems within their communities."

Expanding health centers in underserved communities is a key component of the Bush Administration's broad strategy for expanding access to health care for the more than 40 million Americans without health insurance. The President's fiscal year 2004 budget plan also would strengthen and modernize the Medicaid program, offer health tax credits to help individuals obtain insurance, and extend Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) coverage to more Americans who otherwise would go without coverage.

More information about the President's initiatives to help the uninsured is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030211.html.

Today's expanded medical capacity grant recipients are listed below.

Fiscal Year 2003 Expanded Medical Capacity Grants
Organization	City	State	Award
Chiricahua Community Health Centers	Elfrida	Ariz.	$526,022
United Community Health Center	Green Valley	Ariz.	247,000
Marana Health Center	Marana	Ariz.	199,037
Canyonlands Community Health Center	Page	Ariz.	480,333
Open Door Community Health Center	Arcata	Calif.	322,500
Clinica Sierra Vista, Inc.	Bakersfield	Calif.	424,150
Sequoia Community Health Foundation	Fresno	Calif.	580,794
Golden Valley Health Centers	Merced	Calif.	426,000
United Health Centers	Parlier	Calif.	395,861
Family Healthcare Network	Porterville	Calif.	288,000
Family Health Centers of San Diego	San Diego	Calif.	235,000
La Maestra Family Clinic	San Diego	Calif.	598,500
North East Medical Services	San Francisco	Calif.	235,000
San Mateo County Department of Hospitals	San Mateo	Calif.	690,000
County of Santa Cruz HSA	Santa Cruz	Calif.	196,101
Community Medical Centers	Stockton	Calif.	702,000
Clinicas del Camino Real	Ventura	Calif.	419,981
Metro Community Provider Network	Englewood	Colo.	322,500
Plan De Salud Del Valle	Fort Lupton	Colo.	470,000
Community Health Centers	Apopka	Fla.	173,513
Manatee County Rural Health	Parrish	Fla.	209,408
Albany Area Primary Health	Albany	Ga.	491,785
St Joseph's Mercy Care Services	Atlanta	Ga.	691,980
Council Bluffs Community Health Center	Council Bluffs	Iowa	371,045
Terry Reilly Health Services	Nampa	Idaho	384,246
Shawnee Health Service	Carterville	Ill.	360,882
Access Com. Health Net.	Chicago	Ill.	522,127
So. Illinois Healthcare Foundation	East St. Louis	Ill.	322,500
Crusaders Clinic	Rockford	Ill.	242,100
Echo Community Health Care	Evansville	Ind.	235,000
Flint Hills Community Health Center	Emporia	Kan.	151,250
Bowling Green-Warren County	Bowling Green	Ky.	180,483
Eastern Kentucky University	Richmond	Ky.	409,754
Boston Health Care for the Homeless	Boston	Mass.	687,450
South Cove Community Health Center	Boston	Mass.	426,000
Greater Lawrence Family Health	Lawrence	Mass.	495,000
Family Health Center of Battle Creek	Battle Creek	Mich.	426,500
Cherry Street Services	Grand Rapids	Mich.	426,000
Health Delivery Inc	Saginaw	Mich.	426,000
Douglas County Health Services	Ava	Mo.	164,500
Nevada Health Centers	Carson City	Nev.	486,667
Manchester Department of Health	Manchester	N.H.	119,172
Camcare Health Corp.	Camden	N.J.	322,500
Henry J. Austin Health Center	Trenton	N.J.	418,667
Ben Archer Health Center	Hatch	N.M.	426,000
Presbyterian Medical Services	Santa Fe	N.M.	322,500
Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health	Arverne	N.Y.	363,733
Sunset Park Family Health Center	Brooklyn	N.Y.	322,500
Unity Health System	Rochester	N.Y.	413,410
Greene County Health Care	Snow Hill	N.C.	685,681
Southern Ohio Health Services	Milford	Ohio	235,000
Resources for Human Development	Philadelphia	Pa.	250,230
Cossma	Cidra	P.R.	357,000
Rural Medical Services	Newport	Tenn.	297,989
Community Health Network of Lubbock	Lubbock	Texas	517,000
Nuestra Clinica Del Valle	Pharr	Texas	235,000
Community Health Development	Uvalde	Texas	288,000
Utah Navajo Health System	Montezuma Creek	Utah	325,700
Central Virginia Health Services	New Canton	Va.	426,000
Saltville Health Center Com.	Saltville	Va.	643,627
Community Health Centers of King County	Kent	Wash.	376,000
Moses Lake Community Health Center	Moses Lake	Wash.	425,951
Community Health of Spokane	Spokane	Wash.	517,000
Shenandoah Valley Medical	Martinsburg	W.Va.	354,247
Womencare, Inc.	Scott Depot	W.Va.	316,775
Community Action Of Laramie County	Cheyenne	Wyo.	130,475
Total			$25,133,125

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: July 1, 2003

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