Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $36 Million For Illinois Community Health Centers
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 five community health centers in Illinois a total of $36,726,488 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.
“Community health centers serve a vital function across our state, providing affordable, comprehensive health care to more than one million Illinoisans every year,” Durbin said. “Federal investments in our health centers give them the certainty to plan for the future and continue providing health care to those in need. Senator Duckworth and I will continue fighting for this important funding.”
“Every Illinoisan, no matter their zip code, deserves the same access to quality health services,” Duckworth said. “This funding is critical to the health of our state and will help provide necessary, affordable care to thousands of families. Senator Durbin and I will keep supporting the federal funding that makes these important community health centers throughout our state possible.”
Under this announcement, the following organizations will receive funding to support patient-centered care:
- Crusader Central Clinic Association (Winnebago County): $6,447,055
- Heartland Health Outreach, Inc. (Cook County): $5,780,069
- Near North Health Service Corporation (Cook County): $7,171,993
- SIHF Healthcare (St. Clair County): $15,523,168
- Whiteside County Community Health Clinic (Whiteside County): $1,804,203
Illinois community health centers currently provide primary health care services to approximately 1.4 million Illinois residents – including one out of every four Medicaid patients – at 48 health centers with 350 treatment sites in medically underserved areas. 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.
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. 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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