Rural, Inner-City Health Centers Get New Government Funding

Aug. 3, 2004 – Health centers in rural and inner-city America – many who serve older Americans – are to receive $19 million in grants, according to U.S. Health and Human Services. There are 66 centers on the list.

Health centers deliver primary and preventive care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Almost 40 percent of the 12.4 million patients treated at health centers in 2003 had no insurance coverage. Charges for health care services are set according to income, and fees are not collected from the poorest patients.

Under the Consolidated Health Center Program, HRSA funds a national network of more than 3,600 health center sites, which are supported by grants to community health centers, health care for the homeless centers, migrant health centers, school-based health centers and public housing primary care centers.

Today’s awards support President Bush's five-year initiative to expand the health center system, according to HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson 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 10.3 million in 2001 to 16 million by 2006. Since 2001, HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which oversees the Consolidated Health Center Program, has added about 500 new or expanded sites that provide health care services to 2.1 million additional people.

“We have greatly expanded health center services over the last two years through the President’s initiative. As a result, millions of Americans now have access to vital services that help them live healthier lives,” Secretary Thompson said. “These new awards build on our efforts to expand the health care safety net to more Americans who otherwise might not have access to health care.”

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

FY 2004 Consolidated Health Center Expanded Medical Capacity Grants
*Organization*	*City*	*State*	*Award*
Mobile County Health Department	Mobile	Ala.	$500,000
Mountain Park Health Center	Phoenix	Ariz.	300,000
Clinica Adelante, Inc.	Surprise	Ariz.	296,253
El Rio Santa Cruz Neighborhood Health Center	Tucson	Ariz.	229,167
White River Rural Health Center, Inc.	Augusta	Ark.	211,314
Open Door Community Health Centers	Arcata	Calif.	337,500
Clinica Sierra Vista	Bakersfield	Calif.	286,113
Clinica Monsenor Oscar A. Romero	Los Angeles	Calif.	262,500
Golden Family Health Center	Merced	Calif.	420,000
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency	Oakland	Calif.	161,310
La Clinica De La Raza	Oakland	Calif.	347,145
United Health Centers of San Joaquin Valley, Inc.	Parlier	Calif.	180,000
Northeast Valley Health Corporation	San Fernando	Calif.	200,000
North County Health Project	San Marcos	Calif.	337,499
Santa Barbara County Public Health Department	Santa Barbara	Calif.	67,333
Mendocino Community Health Clinic, Inc.	Ukiah	Calif.	498,333
Denver Health and Hospital Authority	Denver	Colo.	337,500
Plan De Salud del Valle, Inc.	Fort Lupton	Colo.	500,000
Clinica Campesina Family Health Services	Lafayette	Colo.	300,000
Community Health Services, Inc	Hartford	Conn.	307,500
Unity Health Care, Inc.	Washington	D.C.	199,683
Westside Health Center, Inc	Wilmington	Del.	537,167
Camillus Health Concern	Miami	Fla.	48,985
Community Health of South Dade, Inc.	Miami	Fla.	375,000
Tampa Community Health Center, Inc.	Tampa	Fla.	450,000
Northeast Health Systems, Inc.	Colbert	Ga.	351,276
Boundary Regional Community Health Center	Bonners Ferry	Idaho	220,067
Access Community Health Network	Chicago	Ill.	412,500
Erie Family Health Center, Inc.	Chicago	Ill.	278,333
Aunt Martha's Youth Service Center, Inc.	Chicago Heights	Ill.	527,083
PCC Community Wellness Center	Oak Park	Ill.	457,500
Kansas State Dept. of Health and Environment	Topeka	Kan.	70,067
Maine Migrant Health Program	Augusta	Maine	237,949
Bucksport Regional Health Center	Bucksport	Maine	195,207
Russell Medical Center	Leeds	Maine	219,507
Choptank Community Health System, Inc.	Denton	Md.	258,333
City of Springfield, Massachusetts	Springfield	Mass.	74,250
Springfield Southwest Community Health Center	Springfield	Mass.	562,469
Great Brook Valley Health Center	Worcester	Mass.	503,208
Hennepin County Community Health Department	Minneapolis	Minn.	33,122
Family Health Care Clinic, Inc.	Pearl	Miss.	374,941
Community Health Partners, Inc.	Livingston	Mont.	550,689
Newark City Health and Human Services	Newark	N.J.	250,000
Newark Community Health Centers	Newark	N.J.	92,500
Las Clinicas Del Norte, Inc.	El Rito	N.M.	388,670
St. Vincents Hospital & Medical Center New York	New York	N.Y.	125,000
Hudson River Health Care	Peekskill	N.Y.	375,000
Finger Lakes Migrant Health Project	Penn Yan	N.Y.	113,236
N.C. Department of Health and Human Services	Raleigh	N.C.	225,262
Multnomah County Dept. of Human Services	Portland	Ore.	149,805
Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc.	Philadelphia	Pa.	500,000
Philadelphia Health Management Corp.	Philadelphia	Pa.	38,386
Thundermist Health Center	Woonsocket	R.I.	375,000
Little River Medical Center, Inc.	Little River	S.C.	523,448
East Tennessee State University	Johnson City	Tenn.	171,710
City of Austin	Austin	Texas	350,000
Brazos Valley Community Action Agency, Inc.	Bryan	Texas	259,313
Community Health Service Agency	Greenville	Texas	375,000
Su Clinica Familiar	Harlingen	Texas	320,000
Harris County Hospital District	Houston	Texas	52,500
Nuestra Clinica del Valle, Inc.	Pharr	Texas	261,667
Bland County Medical Clinic, Inc.	Bastian	Va.	375,000
Dailey Planet	Richmond	Va.	57,656
Cowlitz Family Health Center	Longview	Wash.	396,731
Columbia Basin Health Association	Othello	Wash.	200,000
N.E.W. Community Clinic	Green Bay	Wis.	30,443
*TOTAL*			*$19,023,130*

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