Whitfield Receives National Award for Community Health Care | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Receives National Award for Community Health Care March 22, 2007 WASHINGTON - The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has presented U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield with the 2007 "Distinguished Community Health Champion" award for his leadership on issues that impact the nearly 16 million people who rely on Community, Migrant, Public Housing and Homeless Health Centers for their health care. The top award is given only to select Members of Congress who have done outstanding work on behalf of low-income, uninsured and medically underserved Americans who need a primary health care home.

"I continue to strongly support community health centers because of their proven success in providing primary health care to millions of American families," said Whitfield. "I believe we must continue to expand upon community health centers as they are part of a comprehensive solution to solving our nation's health care crisis."

"Congressman Whitfield has always worked hard for America's Health Centers and, more importantly, understands their mission," said Tom Van Coverden, President and CEO of NACHC. "We are extremely grateful to Rep. Whitfield for his leadership in Congress and hard work to ensure Medicaid coverage options given to states include the services of Federally-qualified health centers."

The national award presentation to Representative Whitfield comes as health centers from across the country convene for the 32nd annual NACHC Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, D.C.

"Representative Whitfield has been an important voice on behalf of health centers in our state and indeed across the country," said Joseph E. Smith, Executive Director of the Kentucky Primary Care Association. "He understands that health centers are part of the solution to America's increasingly fragmented health care system, because they provide communities with a health care home. With 56 million people in the U.S. struggling without access to health care, there are not enough health centers in America for the people who need them. Representative Whitfield is working hard to make a difference in their lives."

Health centers serve as the family doctor to 16 million low-income children and adults in over 5,000 communities nationwide and 202,247 Kentucky residents. Health centers have a solid record of keeping communities healthy and disease free. Studies show that in communities where there is a health center, there are shorter lines at hospital emergency rooms, lower infant mortality rates, and improved health outcomes for people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Established in 1971, NACHC is a non-profit organization whose mission is (1) to represent the interests of federally supported and other federally qualified health centers and (2) to serve as an information source concerning issues of health care for poor and medically underserved populations in the United States.

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