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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced that he has secured $400,000 for Northwest Indiana’s community health centers to purchase important equipment. Northwest Indiana’s five community health centers provide critical medical care to the under- and uninsured who would otherwise struggle to find quality healthcare. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. The House Appropriations Committee is expected to approve the bill today and it must be approved by both the House and Senate before it can be signed into law by the President.
“I believe that community healthcare centers are a key component of our healthcare system, especially when the majority of people who receive care at them are on Medicaid, Medicare, or have no health insurance at all,” said Visclosky. “I believe a healthcare system that provides high-quality care at an affordable price is critical to the well being of our country. In a country as good and as strong as the United States, no one should lie awake at night worrying whether or not someone in their family is going to get sick.”
Northwest Indiana’s five community health centers are East Chicago Community Health Center, Gary Community Health Center, NorthShore Community Health Center – Lake Station, NorthShore Community Health Center – Portage, and Hilltop Community Health Center in Valparaiso. Community health centers serve the under- and uninsured through efforts to overcome the many impediments people face while trying to access healthcare. The centers operate extended hours to accommodate patients’ work schedules and charge a sliding fee scale so that patients can afford to get the care they need. The funding will be used to jointly purchase equipment in order to defray costs and more effectively meet the healthcare needs of Northwest Indiana.
“We were all thinking that we would use the funding for electronic health records, which will help us do a better job of keeping track of the quality of care for our patients and their safety,” said Janice Wilson, CEO of NorthShore Health Centers. “That will help us serve our patients in a better capacity. It is one other way that the government is working toward making sure that everybody gets quality, safe healthcare.”
“Northwest Indiana is a healthier, better place because of the care that is provided by our community health centers,” said Visclosky. |
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