Pelosi Applauds Grants to California Community Health Centers to Expand Access to Health Care

Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the Department of Health and Human Services announced more than $30 million in grant awards to community health centers in California – including San Francisco Medical Center Outpatient Improvement Programs, Inc .– to expand access to health care, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. These funds will allow the centers to serve 333,187 additional patients in California. Nationwide, 236 health center programs will receive approximately $150 million in grant awards to serve more than 1.25 million additional patients.

"The Affordable Care Act was enacted to expand the reach of quality, affordable health care to millions of Americans – and central to that effort is the ongoing work of our nation's community health centers. These institutions play a vital role in providing essential health services to our most vulnerable Americans. With today's grants, in California and across the country, these centers will be able to build on their successes, expand care, establish new full-time service delivery sites, and offer new services to consumers.

"Californians know the value and importance of community health centers firsthand. In our state alone, more than 3 million patients utilized the services of community health centers last year, with 42 percent of them uninsured. Today's investments will simply strengthen these centers and extend high-quality care to millions more individuals and families.

"With a long-standing history of providing exemplary medical care and eligibility assistance to patients, community health centers are invaluable partners in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. These funds will help make this landmark law a success and ensure health care is a right, not a privilege, afforded to all Americans."

# # #