WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded 42 community health centers across Illinois a total of $7,252,595 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program. Community health centers are community-based organizations that improve access to affordable, high-quality health care in underserved urban and rural communities by integrating primary health care with pharmacy, mental health, substance abuse, and oral health services.
However, funding for community health centers expires at the end of September. If Congress does not act, health centers across the country will see their funding cut by 70 percent. Such a dramatic funding reduction would result in 2,800 community health center closures, 50,000 job losses, and nine million people losing access to care. Instead of preserving access to health care for 26 million Americans by reauthorizing community health center funding, Senate Republicans are now focused on their latest bill to rip health care away from millions of Americans.
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“Community health centers provide high-quality, comprehensive medical care for more than one million Illinoisans every year. This investment will help community health centers continue to improve health outcomes and reduce patient costs for Illinoisans,”said Durbin. “But let me be clear, if Congress doesn’t act to reauthorize community health center funding before the end of this month, community health centers across the country will see their funding slashed dramatically. And instead of working on a solution, Senate Republicans are now spending this crucial time trying to ram through their latest version of Trumpcare, which would rip health care away from millions of Americans. This is unacceptable. We must keep the doors open to our nation’s community health centers for the 26 million Americans who depend on them. We must put health care repeal behind us once and for all.”
“Every Illinoisan, no matter where they live, deserves access to quality health care – that’s why community health centers are so important,” said Duckworth. “This funding will enable these clinics to continue providing quality, affordable care to thousands of Illinois families, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure we protect access to essential health services for all Illinoisans.”
Under this announcement, the following organizations will receive funding to support patient-centered care:
- Access Community Health Network (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Alivio Medical Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Asian Human Services Family Health Center, Inc. (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, Inc. (Olympia Fields, IL): $175,700
- Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University (Springfield, IL): $175,700
- Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Beloved Community Family Wellness Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Cass County Health Department (Virginia, IL): $175,700
- Central Counties Health Centers, Inc. (Springfield, IL): $175,701
- Chestnut Health Systems (Bloomington, IL): $175,700
- Chicago Family Health Center, Inc. (Chicago, IL): $152,620
- Circle Family Healthcare Network, Inc. (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Christian Community Health Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Christopher Greater Area Rural Health Planning Corporation (Christopher, IL): $175,700
- Community Health & Emergency Services, Inc. (Cairo, IL): $175,700
- Community Health Improvement (Decatur, IL): $175,700
- Community Health Partnership of Illinois (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Community Nurse Health Association (La Grange, IL): $175,701
- Crusaders Central Clinic Association (Rockford, IL): $123,400
- Erie Family Health Center, Inc. (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Esperanza Health Centers (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Friend Family Health Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Greater Elgin Family Care Center (Elgin, IL): $175,700
- Hamdard Center for Health & Human Services (Addison, IL): $175,700
- Heartland Health Outreach, Inc. (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Heartland Health Services (Peoria, IL): $174,850
- Heartland International Health Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Henderson County Rural Health Center, Inc. (Oquawka, IL): $132,373
- Howard Brown Health Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center (Waukegan, IL): $175,700
- Lawndale Christian Health Center (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Macoupin County Public Health Department (Carlinville, IL): $175,700
- Near North Health Service Corporation (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- PCC Community Wellness Center (Oak Park, IL): $175,700
- Primecare Community Health, Inc. (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- Rural Health, Inc. (Anna, IL): $175,700
- Shawnee Health Service and Development Corporation (Carterville, IL): $168,450
- SIHF Healthcare (East St. Louis, IL): $175,700
- TCA Health Inc. (Chicago, IL): $175,700
- VNA Health Care (Aurora, IL): $175,700
- Will County Health Department (Joliet, IL): $175,700
- Whiteside County Health Department (Rock Falls, IL): $175,700
Illinois community health centers currently provide primary health care services to approximately 1.3 million Illinois residents – including one out of every four Medicaid patients – at 51 health centers with 360 treatment sites in medically underserved areas throughout the state. Illinois community health centers employ over 7,600 individuals, equaling a payroll of more than $508 million. They also inject approximately $800 million in operating expenditures into their communities, resulting in an overall economic impact of $1.48 billion and overall employment of 11,700. A recent study found that Illinois community health centers save 27 percent in total spending per Medicaid patient compared to non-health center providers.
Over its 50 year history, the Health Center Program has grown from two community health centers to nearly 1,400 community health centers operating over 9,800 clinic sites in every U.S. state and territory. In 2015, community health centers employed nearly 190,000 people and served over 24 million patients. One in 13 people nationwide rely on a HRSA-funded community health center for their preventive and primary health care needs.
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