Senate, House Committee Support National Health Center Week

On July 6, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 357) designating the week of August 8 through August 14, 2004, as “National Health Center Week.” The House Government Reform Committee approved an identical resolution (H. Res. 646) by voice vote on July 8.

Sponsored by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), the resolutions contain a number of findings, including:

• Community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers are nonprofit, community-owned and operated health providers, and are vital to the nation’s communities;
• These health centers have provided cost-effective, high-quality health care to the nation’s poor and medically underserved, including the working poor, the uninsured, and many high-risk and vulnerable populations;
• These health centers have acted as a vital safety net in the nation’s health delivery system, met escalating health needs, and reduced health disparities;
• These health centers provide care to individuals in the United States who would otherwise lack access to health care, including one out of every eight individuals, one out of every nine Medicaid beneficiaries, one out of every seven people of color, and one out of every nine rural Americans;
• These health centers increase the use of preventive health services such as immunizations, pap smears, mammograms, and glaucoma screenings;
• In communities served by these health centers, infant mortality rates have been reduced between 10 and 40 percent; and
• These health centers contribute to the health and well-being of their communities by keeping children healthy and in school, and helping adults remain productive and on the job.