The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has declared August 5-11 as National Health Center Week, to recognize and highlight the crucial role that Community Health Centers play in maintaining the health of Americans.
Federally-funded Community Health Centers provide health care to over 20 million Americans, regardless of their ability to pay for the care.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the agency of HHS that oversees Community Health Centers, these “Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income.”
“For more than 45 years, community health centers have delivered comprehensive, high-quality preventive and primary health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. During that time, community health centers have become the essential primary care medical home for millions of Americans, including some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations,” the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) states on its website.
For more information on National Health Center Week, see the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)‘s website.
Additional information is also available from HealthCenterWeek.org, a site operated by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), a nonprofit organization, with sponsorship from several private sector companies and organizations. [Note: In correction of an earlier version of this article, it should be noted that the site HealthCenterWeek.org is not operated by HRSA.]
Find a Community Health Center Near You
Community Health centers are located in most cities and many rural areas, according to HRSA.
To find a Community Health Center near you, HRSA provides an ONLINE SEARCH TOOL, where you can search for Health Centers by State or County or by Address.
In the Online Search Tool, type in your address and click the ‘Find Health Centers’ button to find health centers near you.
According to HRSA, “Health Centers provide:
- checkups when you’re well
- treatment when you’re sick
- complete care when you’re pregnant
- immunizations and checkups for your children
- dental care and prescription drugs for your family
- mental health and substance abuse care if you need it.”
In the following video, Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius explains the crucial role of Community Health Centers in providing health care to millions of Americans, regardless of a person’s ability to pay for the care »
More Information
See related HelpingYouCare™ reports on:
HHS Announces $728 Million of Funding for Community Health Centers Under Obama’s Health Care Law
National Community Health Centers Provide Primary & Preventive Care to 20 Million
For more information on the Affordable Care Act and health care reform, see the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on VoicesForCare™, including:
- News on Health Care Reform;
- Editorials: What Needs Improvement, With Your Comments;
- Advocacy: Proposals for Reform, With Your Comments;
- Legislation: Pending & Recently Adopted; and
- International Health Care Compare: Information on Health Care & Long-Term Care Solutions in Other Countries.
_____________
Copyright © 2012 Care-Help LLC, publisher of HelpingYouCare™. All rights reserved.
Recent Comments from our Online Community