Cohen Announces $4.9 Million for Christ Community Health Services and $5.2 Million for Memphis Health Center
MEMPHIS, TN – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Christ Community Health Services, Inc. will receive $4,991,997 and that the Memphis Health Center will receive $5,225,000 in new federal funds made available under the Affordable Care Act which he supported. The new federal funds will be administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration.
“Christ Community Health Services and the Memphis Health Center are wonderful organizations that provide invaluable health resources throughout Memphis,” said Congressman Cohen. “These new federal funds are being distributed to help community health centers build and renovate their facilities to help more people get the health care they need. I was proud to support President Obama’s historic Affordable Care Act because it was designed to help every American and it will also help create jobs. The historic law is working and more people will see the additional benefits of the measure as it continues to be implemented.”
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced awards made possible by the new health care law will provide $728 million and will support 398 renovation and construction projects, boosting health centers’ ability to care for additional patients and creating jobs. The awards are part of a series of capital investments that are made available to community health centers under the Affordable Care Act, which provides $9.5 billion to expand services over five years and $1.5 billion to support major construction and renovation projects at community health centers.
According to a new report released today, the health care law has supported 190 construction and renovation projects at health centers and the creation of 67 new health center sites across the country, and will support more than 485 new health center construction and renovation projects and the creation of 245 new community health center sites over the next two years.
Overall, since the beginning of 2009, employment at community health centers nationwide has increased by 15 percent. And, through the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act, community health centers are serving nearly 3 million additional patients today and will serve an additional 1.3 million additional new patients in the next two years.
The announcement made today is for awards from two capital programs for community health centers. One will provide approximately $629 million to 171 existing health centers across the country for longer-term projects to expand their facilities, improve existing services, and serve more patients. This program will expand access to an additional 860,000 patients. The second set of awards will provide approximately $99.3 million to 227 existing health centers to address pressing facility and equipment needs.