WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that 12 community health centers in Iowa have been awarded a total of $2,776,851 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase access to primary care ?services for Iowans. Harkin has been a staunch advocate of these centers and the services they provide through his dual role as both chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations
"Community health centers are a critical part of Iowa's health care system and on the front lines of providing care to more than 181,000 Iowans every year," said Harkin. "I have long fought to support the creation of community health centers because I know these facilities provide crucial healthcare for Iowa families in need. I congratulate these centers on today's funding and I look forward to improving access to health care for Iowans who lack access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance."
The health centers listed below are expected to hire 61 additional workers who will assist an estimated 12,135 new patients in Iowa with services, including extending facility hours and new services such as oral health, mental and behavioral health, pharmacy, and/or vision services.
Throughout his career, Harkin has worked to expand community health centers in Iowa by providing vital resources to ensure that all Iowans have access to affordable, quality health care. Under Harkin's leadership, national funding for CHCs has tripled from $496 million in 1989 to $1.5 billion in 2014. Building on this long legacy of expanding annual funding for community health centers, Harkin also successfully included an $11 billion Community Health Centers Fund in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to significantly expand the number of sites that provide preventative health services and primary care in underserved communities across the nation. During this time, Harkin's support has helped to increase the number of CHCs in Iowa from only 2 in 1989 to 14 in 2014. These centers now serve Iowans at over 85 different clinics throughout the state.
Details of the funding are below:
All Care Health Center - $209,876
Community Health Center, Inc.- $298,818
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, Inc. - $205,432
Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa, Inc. - $242,114
Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa, Inc. - $211,212
Crescent Community Health Center -$205,714
Greater Sioux Community Health Center, Inc. - $196,584
Linn Community Care - $200,702
Primary Health Care, Inc. - $299,292
Proteus, Inc. - $195,767
River Halls Community Health Center, Inc. - $246,132
Siouxland Community Health Center, $265,208
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