Healthier Communities and People, Thanks to Recovery Act Investment
People and communities are healthier thanks to the investment in America’s Community Health Centers from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or the “economic stimulus.” The law, enacted one year ago this week, provided funds that helped Community Health Centers expand care to the growing numbers of jobless and uninsured people who were quickly filling up their waiting rooms. To increase capacity and serve more people, many health centers were able to keep or recruit new staff, such as nurses, physicians and dentists, purchase new equipment, and renovate or open new facilities.
“The economic stimulus investment has made a substantial difference for Arkansas Community Health Centers and the communities they serve,” said Sip Mouden, CEO, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. “We are on track to expand health care access to over 50,000 additional patients, but the numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. For example, women who are patients of Corning Area Healthcare, Inc., an Arkansas Community Health Center in the northeastern part of the state, now have local access to prenatal and women’s health services through an OB/GYN hired with ARRA funding. Women no longer have to drive 30-60 miles or wait weeks to be seen by out-of-town private physicians. In the West Memphis area, patients of the East Arkansas Family Health Center, Inc. now have access to transportation to and from out-of-town specialty appointments. Lack of reliable transportation is no longer a barrier for patients to receive the care they need. Stories like these are repeated in Community Health Centers across the state.”
Signed on February 17, 2009, the economic stimulus bill provided a one-time investment of over $14 million for Arkansas Community Health Centers (CHCs) to expand care and create jobs. Arkansas CHCs will be able to serve over 50,000 additional patients, including more than 22,000 uninsured patients. Arkansas CHCs will also be able to create or retain over 260 jobs. The stimulus funding also allowed them to respond to the growing health care demands of the uninsured in a variety of ways that include, but are not limited to, increased hours of operation, adding new exam rooms, and adding a new health services delivery site in a medically underserved community. As President Obama recently noted, “For [health centers], health care isn't just about diagnosing patients and treating illness – it's about caring for people and promoting wellness. It's about emphasizing education and prevention, and helping people lead healthier lives so they don't get sick in the first place. And it works. Studies show that people living near a health center are less likely to go to the emergency room and less likely to have unmet critical medical needs.”
“The economic stimulus funding was the right medicine at the right time and one year later the investment is still delivering results,” said Mrs. Mouden. “It is important to remember, however, that this was one time funding. Continued financial support of Community Health Centers is critical now more than ever as our health centers strive to maintain the high quality services and programs currently offered and to expand health care to more high need communities in our state. There are still over 500,000 Arkansans who have no health care home or regular source of care.”
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