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News Release

HHS AWARDS $16 MILLION TO 31 HEALTH CENTERS
TO EXPAND ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES
FOR THE UNINSURED

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 31 new grants totaling $16 million to help communities across America create comprehensive health care centers that will provide health services to an estimated 254,000 people, including many without health insurance.

Today's grants continue President Bush's five-year Health Centers Initiative, which will add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites and increase the number of people served annually from about 10 million to 16 million by 2006.

"These grants will help provide care for many uninsured Americans and others who otherwise would have had no place to turn to get help," Secretary Thompson said. "With more than 40 million Americans lacking health insurance, President Bush has proposed a broad range of initiatives to help as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Health centers play a critical role in this effort by providing a safety net for patients, regardless of their ability to pay."

Health centers deliver preventive and primary care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Almost half of the patients treated at health centers have no insurance coverage, and others have inadequate coverage. Charges for health care services are set according to income, and fees are not collected from the poorest clients.

HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages the Consolidated Health Center Program, which funds a national network of community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless centers, public housing primary care centers and school-based health centers.

"Millions of Americans rely on health centers every day to provide the care and services their families need to get better or stay healthy," HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke said. "These health centers are a model of cost-effective, high quality primary health care for America."

More information about the President's initiatives to help the uninsured is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030211.html.

The list of today's grant recipients is below.

Fiscal Year 2003 Health Center New Access Point Grants
Organization	City	State	New Users	Area Served	Award
Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.	Elfrida	Ariz.	5,433	Bisbee, Cochise County	$274,269
North Country Community Health Center	Flagstaff	Ariz.	6,000	St. Johns/Round Valley, Apache County	$275,000
Mendocino Coast Clinics, Inc.	Fort Bragg	Calif.	5,170	North Mendocino County	$607,500
Franciscan Clinics dba QueensCare Family Clinics	Los Angeles	Calif.	39,907	Los Angeles, Los Angeles County	$608,333
St. John's Well Child & Family Center	Los Angeles	Calif.	13,591	Los Angeles, Los Angeles County	$600,208
Family Health Centers of San Diego	San Diego	Calif.	4,506	San Diego, San Diego County	$487,500
South Bay Family Healthcare Center	Torrance	Calif.	17,440	Greater South Bay, Los Angeles County	$600,417
North Florida Medical Centers, Inc.	Tallahassee	Fla.	3,090	Apalachicola, Franklin County	$550,000
Access Community Health Network	Chicago	Ill.	1,668	Blue Island, Cook County	$134,269
Madison County Community Health Center	Anderson	Ind.	6,333	Anderson, Madison County	$608,333
Southwest Health Center	Winslow	Ind.	3,250	Pike, Davies, & Knox Counties	$570,007
St. Charles Community Health Center	Luling	La.	10,352	Luling, St. Charles Parish	$608,333
Walnut Street Community Health Center	Hagerstown	Md.	5,750	Hagerstown, Washington County	$601,400
MGH Family Health Center dba Muskegon Family Care	Muskegon	Mich.	23,875	Muskegon and Muskegon Heights, Muskegon County	$608,333
Cedar Riverside People's Center	Minneapolis	Minn.	6,205	Minneapolis, Minn.	$264,583
Central Mississippi Health Service	Jackson	Miss.	20,646	City of Jackson, Hinds County	$608,333
Sweet Medical Center, Inc.	Chinook	Mont.	5,400	Blaine County	$608,333
East Central District Health Department	Columbus	Neb.	4,335	Columbus, Platte County	$605,429
Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Community Health Center dba Community Health Center of Asbury Park	Asbury Park	N.J.	5,000	Asbury Park, Monmouth County	$474,844
AtlantiCare Health Services	Egg Harbor Township	N.J.	3,250	Atlantic City	$602,083
De Baca Family Practice Clinic, Inc.	Fort Sumner	N.M.	3,360	De Baca County	$608,333
Presbyterian Medical Services	Santa Fe	N.M.	3,400	Socorro, Socorro County	$525,000
Rural Health Group, Inc.	Jackson	N.C.	11,000	Halifax and Northampton Counties	$595,833
Metropolitan Community Health Services, Inc.	Washington	N.C.	4,300	Washington, Beaufort County	$608,333
Toa Alta Comprehensive Urban/Rural Advanced Health Services	Toa Alta	P.R.	7,200	Toa Alta	$598,900
Thundermist Health Center	Woonsocket	R.I.	4,500	West Warwick, Kent County	$564,287
CareSouth Carolina, Inc.	Hartsville	S.C.	5,250	Bennettsville, Marlboro County	$108,333
Sumter Family Health Center	Sumter	S.C.	10,000	Sumter, Sumter County	$595,833
Eastside Neighborhood Center	Pierre	S.D.	2,800	Buffalo, Ziebach, Dewey, Hughes	$608,333
United Neighborhood Health Services, Inc.	Nashville	Tenn.	3,000	Nashville, Davidson County	$360,383
Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, Inc.	Saltville	Va.	6,000	Bristol, Washington County, Va., and Bristol, Sullivan County, Tenn.	$546,070
TOTAL:					$16,017,145

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: March 24, 2003