[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 LET'S SUPPORT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2001

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues in stressing the 
importance of funding community health centers at a level of at least 
$175 million for FY 2002. In my home State of New York, we provide over 
164,000 residents who are uninsured or Medicaid recipients with health 
care services. Low-income New Yorkers are dependent on these centers 
for important services like, immunizations, breast and cervical cancer 
exams as well as treatment for asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
  Communities served by community health centers make a real difference 
in the quality of life for that community. For example, infant morality 
rates have been shown to be 10 to 40 percent lower than communities not 
served by health centers. Health center patients have lower hospital 
admission rates and shorter hospital stays, and make more appropriate 
use of emergency room services. Moreover, centers have significantly 
increased the use of preventive health services like pap smears, 
mammograms, and glaucoma screening services among the populations they 
serve. The centers have also made significant strides in preventing 
anemia and lead poisoning. And finally, centers have been reported to 
make the benefits of public insurance programs available to more 
eligible children and adults. The HHS inspector general recently 
commended health centers for their successful efforts in finding 
thousands of children and adults who are eligible for, but not enrolled 
in, the Medicaid and S-Chip program and assisting them to enroll in 
these programs.
  In addition, we need to ensure that the reauthorization of the health 
centers program under section 330 of the Public Health Act occurs early 
during the 107th Congress. I especially want to stress the need to 
restore authority for facility construction and renovation as well as 
an appropriate allocation among the community, migrant, homeless and 
public housing health center programs.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues on Energy 
and Commerce's Subcommittee on Health to fully support community health 
centers and I urge my colleagues to actively support this critical 
health care program which provides so much in the way of services to 
low-income Americans.

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