HHS provides $250M for new community health centers

Some $250 million is being made available to support the establishment of 350 new community health center sites in fiscal year 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

The Affordable Care Act provides $11 billion to expand community health centers during the next five years, including the creation of 350 new community health center sites that are also slated to provide dental services.

The funding will include the following:

  • $1.5 billion to support major construction and renovation projects at community health centers nationwide
  • $9.5 billion to create new community health center sites in medically underserved areas and to expand preventive and primary healthcare services -- including oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and/or enabling services -- at existing community health center sites

Community health centers are poised to play an essential role in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. In particular, community health centers emphasize coordinated primary and preventive services that promote reductions in health disparities for low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, and other underserved populations.

Today, more than 1,100 community health centers operate 7,900 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 19 million patients in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin.

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