Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is releasing $450,494 to support community health centers in Hawaii, as part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will be distributed among 18 Community Health Centers to help with the rising costs of current services.

These Health Center Program grants helped more than 17 million individuals across the country last year by providing access to high quality, family-oriented, comprehensive primary and preventive health care. About 40 percent of health center patients have no insurance coverage.

“Until we can make healthcare more affordable and more accessible, community health centers will continue to provide essential care for Hawaii families that don’t have insurance or can’t afford the high cost of healthcare,” said Abercrombie. “In today’s economy, the need becomes even more critical because workers usually lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs.”

For example, the Waikiki Health Center saw more patients in April than any month in their 43-year history, according to Mark Gannon, the center’s Center’s Chief Accounting Officer.

“We provide the services to people regardless of their ability to pay, so we see a lot uninsured patients, a lot of homeless patients, other vulnerable populations. Recently, with the economic condition, we’re seeing newly uninsured patients,” said Gannon at last night’s forum. He said the center recently expanded services, “but there’s the need that’s greater than we can provide at this time.”

Gannon participated in a healthcare provider forum last night, the first of two events organized by Rep. Abercrombie to gather information and public feedback as Congress works with the Obama Administration to improve, expand and repair the nation’s healthcare delivery system.  Abercrombie will hold a public community forum on Wednesday, July 1st.

Related video:

• Jerris Hedges, dean of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, speaks at Abercrombie's Healthcare Community Form, May 28, 2009.

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