Michelle Obama releases $851M for community health center IT adoption
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The Recovery Act Capital Improvement Program (CIP) grants will allow more than 650 centers to purchase new equipment or health IT systems, and nearly 400 health centers will adopt and expand the use of EHRs. The funds also will support the construction, repair and renovation of more than 1,500 U.S. health center sites.
"Community Health Centers provide care to the Americans who need it most and their work has never been more important," Obama said.
To see a list of Recovery Act CIP grantees by state, go to www.hhs.gov/recovery.
Health centers deliver preventive and primary care services at more than 7,500 service delivery sites around the country to patients regardless of their ability to pay; charges for services are set according to income. Health centers serve more than 17 million patients, about 40 percent of whom have no health insurance. Community Health Centers are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The Capitol Improvement grant awards are the third set of health center grants provided through the ARRA. On March 2, President Barack Obama announced grants worth $155 million to establish 126 new health center sites. Those grants will provide access to essential preventive and primary health care for more than 750,000 people in 39 states and two territories.
On March 27, HHS also awarded $338 million in Increased Demand for Services grants for health centers. Health centers are using these Increased Demand for Services grants to provide care to more than two million additional patients over the next two years, including approximately one million uninsured people.