September 14, 2007
Contact: Robin Winchell (202) 225-4031
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Charlie
Melancon (D -LA) today announced that
the Iberia Comprehensive Community
Health Center
was awarded a $469,954 federal grant to establish a health service clinic in
St. Martin Parish. Rep. Melancon had previously advocated in
support of this grant to the federal agency that was administering the program,
noting that the need for accessible healthcare services for the uninsured had
increased in rural St. Martin Parish following Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita. As vice chair of a Congressional oversight subcommittee, Rep.
Melancon also drew attention to the state of post-hurricane healthcare in
Louisiana with a hearing earlier this year on short term recovery needs,
especially the increased need for accessible, affordable primary and mental
healthcare services in rural south Louisiana communities.
"All Louisianians should have access to quality,
affordable health care, and this grant will help make that possible for many
needy people in St. Martin Parish," said
Rep. Melancon. "Recently, I supported legislation in Congress to
provide healthcare coverage for thousands of Louisiana children from poor families who
lack health insurance. In the richest country in the world, no sick
person should have to forgo a visit to the doctor simply because he or she
can't afford the bill. I will continue to support legislation and funding
that helps uninsured and underinsured Americans access much-needed healthcare
services, while ensuring these needs are met in a cost efficient way that also
protects the taxpayer's dollar."
Roderick Campbell, Executive
Director of the Iberia Comprehensive Community
Health Center,
commented, "St. Martin Parish was cited as
one of the poorest counties in the country and will benefit immensely from this
grant. We expect to serve approximately 5,000 low-income uninsured or
under-insured residents of the Parish by providing medical, dental, mental health,
and pharmacy services. Representative Charlie Melancon is an advocate for the
poor and a supporter of affordable healthcare for all citizens and I thank him
for his assistance in securing this grant."
The grant for Iberia Comprehensive
CHC was awarded through a federal program to help uninsured or underinsured
people obtain access to health centers providing comprehensive primary
and preventive health care services. These health centers deliver
preventive and primary care services to patients regardless of their ability to
pay. Charges for health care services are set according to income. Four in 10
patients treated at health centers have no insurance coverage and many others
have inadequate coverage.
The federal program that awards
these grants has been ranked one of the 10 most effective federal programs by
the Office of Management and Budget, and is the top competitive grant program
within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Federally
supported community health centers, like the clinic today's grant will
establish in St. Martin Parish, improve the health of the patients and
communities they serve by providing cost-effective, regular primary and
preventive care that translates into reduced hospitalizations, lower use of
emergency rooms, and fewer referrals to costly specialists, resulting in a
significant reduction of overall health care spending and producing far better
health care outcomes.
Rep. Melancon is also a co-sponsor
of legislation in Congress that will continue the federal health center program
and authorize adequate funding to meet its financial needs (H.R. 1343: The
Health Centers Renewal Act).
The grant for the Iberia
Comprehensive CHC was awarded through President Bush's Health Center
Initiative, launched in 2002 with a goal of increasing access to primary
health care services in 1,200 communities by supporting new or expanded health
center sites. The grant to Iberia Comprehensive
CHC is part of $20 million in recently announced grants that will establish 41
new health center sites in 25 states. These New Access Point grants will help
an estimated 220,000 Americans gain access to health center services. The New
Access Point grants were awarded to health care organizations in areas where
more primary medical care is needed. They will be administered by the
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
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