The Affordable Care Act: Making a Difference in our Neighborhoods

Community Health Centers enable people to receive health care in the neighborhoods where they live so they can get high-quality care close to home. That’s why the Affordable Care Act builds on this model of care, by making critical investments in new facilities, doctors, nurses, and staff. This week, HHS announced new primary care sites in 236 communities for 1.25 million additional patients, made possible by the Affordable Care Act. These investments will make an enormous difference in people’s lives by increasing access to the care they need, where they need it.

As you can see from the media coverage in states around the country, these types of primary care investments are critical for families who need care. Here’s just a sample of the coverage:

AZ – Arizona Daily Star: New U.S. grant to pay for Sierra Vista community health care A new community health clinic will be operating in Sierra Vista by February, due to an unexpected federal grant of nearly $1 million. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Director Kathleen Sebelius announced Thursday that $150 million in Affordable Care Act funds will be going to 236 health programs in 43 states. LINK

CA – Recordnet.com: Grants awarded for health center The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday awarded a $691,667 grant to Community Medical Centers Inc. to help it establish a new health center service delivery site. LINK

CA – San Jose Mercury News: HHS awards Affordable Care Act funds to expand access to care Three Bay Area groups were among 46 California health centers awarded a total $30.6 million in grants Thursday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help care for additional patients under the new federal health care law. LINK

CO – The Gazette: Peak Vista gets $758,000 federal grant Peak Vista Community Health Centers' patient wait list is on track to be eliminated, and officials say a new federal grant could help keep it that way. The nonprofit organization expects to treat about 7,000 new patients during the next two years after being awarded a $758,333 grant on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services LINK

FL – Sunshine State News: Florida Health Centers Awarded $8.3 million from Obamacare Sixteen community health centers in Florida will share more than $8.3 million in new grants from the Affordable Care Act, federal health officials announced Thursday. More than half of the grants are for amounts exceeding $500,000. LINK

FL – Tampa Bay Times: Feds give state $8.3 million to expand care to uninsured More than a dozen Florida community health centers — including seven in Miami-Dade County — were awarded $8.3 million in grants Thursday to expand their practices and hire more physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists and other providers in an effort to increase Americans’ access to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, federal officials announced. LINK

FL - Miami Herald: Miami-Dade community health centers win government grants More than a dozen Florida community health centers — including seven in Miami-Dade County — were awarded $8.3 million in grants Thursday to expand their practices and hire more physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists and other providers in an effort to increase Americans’ access to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, federal officials announced. The grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are part of a national effort by the federal government, which awarded about $150 million to 236 health centers in 43 states, including 16 centers in Florida. LINK

FL – Sun Sentinel: Florida gets more health centers through Obamacare Florida will get 16 new federal health centers, paid by $8.3 million of grant money, to help low-income patients, including those who sign up for health insurance under Obamacare. Health and Human Services officials said the funds, available through the Affordable Care Act, will help care for 72,999 additional Floridians by establishing new health center service delivery sites. The federal centers are a major source of health care for the uninsured. And they are on the front lines of attempts to sign up patients to meet the insurance requirement next year. LINK

GA – Health agency awards $5.3M to Georgia care centers The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it is awarding more than $5.3 million in Affordable Care Act funding to support new health care centers in Georgia. The funding will help expand the delivery of health care services in the state and is expected to impact more than 41,800 Georgians, department Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. The funding is expected to support 10 new health center sites in Georgia, officials said. LINK

IN – Journal Gazette: Federal grant to help fund new southeast-side clinic The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will help fund a new clinic in southeast Fort Wayne. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced nearly $151 million in grant awards Thursday for health centers to establish “new access points.” The grants, funded by the much-maligned Affordable Care Act, include $325,000 for Neighborhood Health Clinics of Fort Wayne. LINK

IN – WISHTV: 6 Indiana health centers to share nearly $4.5M The U.S. Health and Human Services has awarded nearly $4.5 million in grants to six health centers in Indiana. The department said Thursday the funds will be shared by Elkhart's Heart City Health Center, Meridian Services Corp. in Muncie, the Jane Pauley Community Health Center in Indianapolis, Southlake Community Mental Health Center in Merrillville, Wabash Valley Health Center in Terre Haute and Fort Wayne's Neighborhood Health Clinics. LINK

MA – Cape Cod Times: West Tisbury health center receives federal grants Island Health Inc. in West Tisbury has received a grant of $714,350 from the federal government to expand Martha’s Vineyard residents’ access to health care.The health center is among six in Massachusetts to receive a total of $3,489,350 in Affordable Care Act funds during the latest round of grants. LINK

MA – Mass Live: Caring Health Center in Springfield wins $441,667 federal grant to expand services US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Thursday unveiled $150 million in grants for community health centers across the country including $441,667 for the Caring Health Center in Springfield to expand health services in the city. LINK

MI - Detroit News: U.S. gives Michigan $6.2 million to open health centers Michigan will receive $6.2 million to open nine federally funded health center sites next year, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Wednesday. The money is part of the $11 billion included in the federal Affordable Care Act to expand the nation’s capacity to provide primary care, dental and mental health services. About $2.2 billion of that total will be awarded across the country during 2014, including $150 million in grants announced Wednesday. LINK

MN – Duluth News Tribune: Health notes: Grant allows Northland health agency to expand A $1.5 million grant from the state will help a regional health agency expand its preventative health efforts over the next two years, an official said. LINK

MO – KSDK 5: 9 Missouri sites receive Affordable Care Act grants Almost $6.5 million in grants will be distributed to Missouri to support nine new health center sites, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Thursday. Two hundred and thirty six health center programs nationwide will received a combined $150 million in grant awards. LINK

MO – KMOV 4: $6.5 million distributed among 9 Missouri health centers Nearly $6.5 million in grants made available by the Affordable Care Act will be distributed to nine Missouri health center sites, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Thursday. The funds will help care for approximately almost 48,000 additional Missourians by establishing new health center service delivery sites. LINK

MT – Missoulian: $925K grant lets Partnership Health Center to Seeley Lake More than $925,000 in Affordable Care Act funds will allow Partnership Health Center to expand services to Seeley Lake. The $925,757 grant, part of $150 million worth of grants given under the ACA to support 236 new health centers nationwide, was announced Thursday by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. LINK

NC – BRCHS to open health center in Spindale Blue Ridge Community Health Services of Hendersonville will open a new health center in Rutherford County, after receiving more than $850,000 in grant funding made available by the Affordable Care Act. LINK

ND – The Modesto Bee: ND gets grant to expand health care access The federal government has given North Dakota $650,000 to expand access to health care in the state. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the funding is being made available by the Affordable Care Act. LINK

NE – Live Well Nebraska: Community Health Clincs to open in Omaha, Grand Island Community health clinics will open next year in northwest Omaha and Grand Island with a total of $1.03 million in federal Affordable Care Act money. OneWorld Community Health Centers will receive $216,667, most of which will be used to renovate a building at a location that hasn’t been disclosed. OneWorld’s head, Andrea Skolkin, said Thursday an agreement hasn’t been finalized with the landlord. LINK

NE – NBC 5 (KHASTV): Community Health Center Grants Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today. 150 million dollars in awards under the Affordable Care Act to support 236 new health center sites across the country. LINK

NH – NECN: NH health centers get $1.2 M in grants to expand Two community health centers in New Hampshire are getting federal money to expand their services. Indian Stream Health Center in Colebrook and Mid-State Health Center in Plymouth are getting more than $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The money, which is part of the federal health care overhaul law, is expected to help the centers open new delivery sites serving an additional 13,400 patients. LINK

OH – Dayton Daily News: Dayton health centers get $775K in federal funding Dayton’s Five Rivers Health Centers received a $775,000 federal grant, the government said Thursday. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department said $6,812,233 in grants have been awarded to support 11 new health center sites in Ohio. Five Rivers Health Centers have several Dayton locations, including: center for women’s health and a pediatrics center, One Wyoming St.; family health center, 2345 Philadelphia Dr.; medical surgical health center, 725 S. Ludlow St. and 30 Apple St.; and a dental center, 30 E. Apple St. LINK

OR – OPB (NPR): Oregon Health Centers Get Federal Grants Four Oregon health centers have received a combined $2.3 million from the federal government. The money comes from the Affordable Care Act and will be used to help low-income Oregonians. LINK

PA – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Two Philadelphia health centers to receive $1.5 million in federal grants The Obama administration will announce today that it is awarding $1.5 million in grants to two new Philadelphia health center sites through the federal Affordable Care Act. The funding is part of approximately $150 million in grant awards to 236 health center programs nationwide, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency said the awards will pay for care for approximately 8,343 additional Pennsylvanians and more than 1.25 million additional patients nationwide. LINK

SD – KSFY (ABC): South Dakota awarded $1.3 million health care grant South Dakota was awarded grants to support new health center sites from the US Health and Human Services department.The $1.3 million grant will establish two new health centers, allowing more residents access to health care services. LINK

TX – KERA News: 10 Texas Health Centers To Get $6 Million In Affordable Care Act Funds The day after President Obama visited Dallas to talk health care, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced nearly $6 million in Affordable Care Act funds will go to Texas health centers to expand access to care. LINK

VA – NBC 12: 2 Va health centers get grants to expand access Two health centers in Virginia have been awarded federal grants to expand access to care. The Department of Health and Human Services awarded $775,000 to the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic in Lexington and $317,000 to the Greater Prince William Community Health Center in Woodbridge. LINK

VT – WCAX: Feds fund 3 new subsidized health centers A new round of federal grants will provide subsidies to three more health clinics in Vermont. Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Thursday that the Battenkill Valley Health Center based in Arlington, the Five-Town Health Alliance based in Bristol and clinics affiliated with Randolph's Gifford Medical Center will receive the aid. LINK

VT – Valley News: Fed Grants Boost Health Centers in VT Vermont’s federally qualified health centers, known for providing comprehensive primary care, mental health and dental services to residents, are about to grow in number from eight to 11, thanks to new funding. LINK

WI – Gazette Xtra: Two local centers receive $17,000 grants Two local centers that provide services for child victims and their families each have received $17,000 grant to help with professional development, medical consultation and service improvement. LINK