Last week was National Health Centers Week!
The national campaign ran from August 13th-19th with the goal of raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers over the course of more than five decades.
One of the bright spots in America’s health care system, Community Health Centers serve more than 25 million Americans, a number that continues to grow along with the demand for affordable primary care. They have compiled a significant record of success that includes:
- Producing $24 billion in annual health system savings;
- Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the emergency room;
- Treating patients for a fraction of the average cost of one emergency room visit;
- Maintaining patient satisfaction levels of nearly 100 percent;
- Serving more than one in six Medicaid beneficiaries for less than two percent of the national Medicaid budget.
Health centers not only prevent illness and foster wellness in the most challenging populations, they produce innovative solutions to the most pressing health care issues in their communities. They reach beyond the walls of conventional medicine to address the factors that may cause sickness, such as lack of nutrition, mental illness, homelessness and opioid addiction. Because of their long record of success in innovation, managing health care costs, and reducing chronic disease, health centers have a proud tradition of bipartisan support in Congress.
There are NHCW events scheduled across the country, including health fairs, visits by Members of Congress and state officials to local health centers, press conferences, back-to-school drives, community breakfasts, patient appreciation events, free health screenings and dental cleanings, and much more.
To learn more about NHCW and the listing of events please visit: www.healthcenterweek.org.
You can also follow the conversation using #NHCW17 on Twitter.