By Linda S. Muller, MS
Part II of II
Newburgh
- Fortunately, individuals who establish a "health care home" at a health center don’t have to choose between access and quality. Community Health Centers emphasize both. The care provided at a health center is accessible because it is affordable (patients pay on an income-based sliding fee scale), it’s culturally competent, and it’s available in tough times. It’s also of the highest quality, known for excellence in managing chronic disease and reducing health disparities.
Now is the time to talk about Community Health Centers because August 9th through August 15th is National Health Center Week. Health fairs and other events will celebrate the contributions of health centers in the more than 7,000 communities they serve, from our neighborhoods to rural towns and from homeless populations to farm workers.
Community Health Centers should be celebrated because they are keeping our communities healthy and our economy healthy. They were among the first entities to receive money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or federal economic stimulus. The funding is being used to provide care to more people as they lose their health insurance, along with their jobs
By giving more people a health care home, The Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center is saving health care costs and taking the pressure off of local hospital emergency rooms. But demand on our services will continue as the effects of the recession linger. Undoubtedly, Community Health Centers should play a critical role in health care reform. The stimulus funding was the right medicine at the right time – but it isn’t the cure. The cure is healthreform, done right. A long-term solution is needed for the 50 million people who are uninsured and also for the 60 million people who are medically disenfranchised – shut out of preventive and primary care because they can’t afford it, don’t have insurance or live where providers are scarce or nonexistent.
I would encourage you to visit the www.healthcenterweek.org to learn more about what’s planned for National Health Center Week. I would also urge you to find out more about Community Health Centers. Maybe you know a family like the one I described before. You can tell them about the health center that is nearby. And with quality care that’s easy to access, you might want to make your way to a Community Health Center yourself!
