Members of Arkansas Congressional Delegation Honored with National Health Care Awards

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) presented three of Arkansas’ Congressional members with awards during the 35th annual NACHC Policy and Issues Forum held in Washington, D.C., February 24-28. Senator Blanche Lincoln was presented with the “Distinguished Community Health Champion Award,” and Representatives Mike Ross and Vic Snyder were presented with the “Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award.”

The “Distinguished Community Health Champion Award” presented to Senator Lincoln is given only to select Members of Congress who have gone above and beyond in championing wider access to primary care and strengthening America’s investment in Community Health Centers. As a member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, Senator Lincoln has been a committed leader of improving access to care at our nation’s health centers, especially for America's seniors.

During the debate on health insurance reform in the Senate Finance Committee, Lincoln secured an amendment to ensure that Community Health Centers would not lose revenue when treating newly insured patients gaining coverage through the proposed Health Insurance Exchanges. Lincoln also introduced, along with Senator Snowe from Maine and others, the Menendez Amendment. This amendment provided, along with other provisions, that health centers should be paid a fair and comparable rate for serving Medicare patients as they are paid for serving Medicaid patients.

The “Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award” was presented to Representative Vic Snyder for his support in passing the bipartisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act, which ensures vital health insurance for over 11 million American children, as well as for his vote for the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009, the House of Representatives’ Health Care Reform package. The “Superhero Award” was also presented to Representative Mike Ross for his support in passing the SCHIP Reauthorization Act.

“We are thrilled that the National Association of Community Health Centers is recognizing Senator Blanche Lincoln and Representatives Mike Ross and Vic Snyder as outstanding leaders in their support of Community Health Centers and the patients they serve,” said Sip Mouden, CEO, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. “As economic conditions remain challenging for many Arkansans, indeed many Americans, Senator Lincoln and Representatives Ross and Snyder understand that Community Health Centers provide equal access to affordable primary and preventive health care services, serve as local economic engines, and provide cost savings to all states’ health care systems through efficient delivery of care. Arkansas Community Health Centers are hopeful that with their continued leadership and support that not only Arkansas health centers, but also health centers nationwide, will be able to strengthen their systems of health care delivery and will be able to grow and meet the challenges and demands of the future.”