Secure, long-term federal funding needed

National Health Center Week shines light on way to provide affordable, quality health care for all

Elected officials across the country will join communities in celebrating National Health Center Week 2019 from Aug. 4-10. Their visits and messages to community health centers, like New Horizons Healthcare in Roanoke, will demonstrate that it is possible to move beyond the partisan divide over health care and to support and agree on a program vital to our communities. 

The health center mission – to ensure quality health care is affordable and accessible to all – is crucial today because access to basic care remains a challenge in parts of the United States, including in the Roanoke region. Many people live in under-served communities where there is a shortage of health care providers, and transportation to a provider is an obstacle. 

Every year community-based health centers provide preventive and primary care services to 28 million people in the United States. In 2017, more than 350,000 of those patients were veterans and 65,000 received medication-assisted treatments, including opioid treatment programs.

By providing health care to people who disproportionately suffer from chronic disease and lack access to affordable, quality care, health centers are curbing health care costs and protecting communities from preventable diseases. Collectively, health centers lower health care costs by $24 billion annually, reduce chronic diseases and stimulate local economies.

Health care close to home

This year’s National Health Center Week theme is “Rooted in Communities,” and New Horizons Healthcare is an excellent example. From the start, its creation was driven by community leaders who understood the need for accessible, affordable health care. Their vision became a reality in 2000, and it continues in the state-of-the-art facility at 3716 Melrose Ave., NW, Roanoke and two satellites – a family practice at 1215 3rd St., SW, Roanoke and a dental practice at 321 Tazewell Ave., SE, Roanoke. 

Last year New Horizons Healthcare provided preventive and primary care services to 9,212 patients.  Three-quarters of those patients lived below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and nearly half of them had no health insurance.

Our services include adult and pediatric medical, dental and behavioral health care. The main location has a full-service pharmacy and basic radiology and lab services. Additionally, care coordination and chronic disease management programs help patients stay on track with individualized health plans, enabling them to live healthier, more active and longer lives. 

We offer sliding-fee discounts, pharmacy and medication assistance and Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment. Open enrollment for ACA coverage in 2020 is from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2019. We also offer “open access” care for walk-ins and same-day appointments throughout the week and on Saturdays.

Community-based care works

Health center workers are not just healers, we are innovators who look beyond medical charts to address the factors that may cause poor health, such as poverty, homelessness, substance use, mental illness, lack of nutrition and unemployment. We collaborate and partner with hospitals, local and state governments and social, health and business organizations to improve health for people who are medically vulnerable. Beyond our health care facilities, we send health educators and communicators into the community to deliver information about disease prevention; affordable health coverage; medical, dental and behavioral health services; and community resources.

Secure, long-term funding for community health centers will ensure we close the access gap for medically vulnerable communities. Accomplishing this task depends on Congress. We are grateful to our representatives and senators who have shown leadership in supporting and sponsoring legislation to protect health centers from losing a major part of their funding at the end of September.

Show your support during National Health Center Week by contacting your legislators and encouraging them to help secure long-term federal funding for community health centers.