[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 154 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE FOURTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF SOUTH BAY FAMILY HEALTH CARE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2009

  Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the achievements of 
South Bay Family Health Care on the 40th Anniversary of its founding. 
Since 1969, SBFHC has provided health care to underserved residents in 
the South Bay region of my Congressional District, growing from a 
single-site family planning clinic serving 1,600 patients per year, to 
a system of four comprehensive health clinics serving more than 16,000 
patients per year. Today, it is one of Los Angeles County's leading 
community health clinics and largest safety net providers to the 
uninsured and underinsured.
  SBFHC has evolved and adapted to meet changing community needs. In 
the mid-1980s, in response to the emerging HIV/AIDS crisis, it opened 
the first and only HIV/AIDS center in the South Bay. In 2002, it 
changed its model from a free clinic to a Federally Qualified Health 
Center with a sliding pay scale, making the clinic eligible for federal 
funding to expand its services and the number of people served.
  Today, with a budget of $9 million, SBFHC provides 70,000 visits per 
year. Its services cover a broad spectrum, covering preventative care, 
chronic disease management, prenatal and pediatric medicine, dental 
care, and social services including mental health and domestic violence 
prevention.
  In an effort to bring service to patients, SBFHC sponsors a ``Healthy 
Kids Express'' mobile care center that provides immunizations and care 
for sick children at local school districts, community events and 
health fairs.
  SBFHC also does fantastic work for minorities: 65 percent of their 
patients are Latino and 16 percent are African-American.
  I also want to recognize the CEO of SBFHC, Jann Hamilton Lee, for her 
leadership and guidance to me as a member of my Medicine Cabinet--a 
bipartisan group of healthcare experts from my district who advise me 
on health policy.
  My congratulations to Jann and everyone else who has proudly served 
the South Bay Family Health Center for 40 years of service. The 
residents of the South Bay--and your representative in Congress--are 
grateful.

                          ____________________