[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 137 (Friday, August 17, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1160-E1161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING GOLDEN VALLEY HEALTH CENTERS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 17, 2018

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Golden Valley Health 
Centers in honor of National Health Center Week. Since 1972, Golden 
Valley Health Centers have served the people of the San Joaquin Valley 
with integrity and honor. During that time, they have been guided by 
their mission to improve the health of patients regardless of language, 
financial, or cultural barriers, and exemplified the benefits that 
health centers provide to local communities.
  Golden Valley Health Centers provide affordable, comprehensive 
primary and preventive care to underserved communities with their 32 
clinics throughout Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin Counties. Their 
team of over 900 people includes physicians, nurse practitioners, 
behavior health specialists, physician assistants, and certified nurse 
midwives, all of whom advance the mission and vision of Golden Valley 
Health Centers through the various essential care services they 
provide.
  Golden Valley Health Centers have proved it is possible to overcome 
barriers to healthcare access, such as geography, income, and insurance 
status. In doing so, health centers, such as Golden Valley, improve 
health care outcomes while, at the same time, reducing the costs of 
health care. These health centers provide services vital to the public 
health of our valley and nation, including healthcare for our veterans, 
natural disaster response, and mental health care to help battle the 
opioid epidemic. It has been an honor to work alongside Golden Valley 
Health Centers to ensure access to quality, affordable health for 
constituents throughout my district.
  Furthermore, Golden Valley, like most health centers, is governed by 
patient-majority boards and locally owned and operated, ensuring that 
patients are engaged in their own health care decisions. With local 
control, health centers often serve as critical economic

[[Page E1161]]

engines that generate essential revenue for local communities, 
including those in California's San Joaquin Valley.
  During National Health Center Week, we celebrate the legacy of 
America's health centers, and their vital role in shaping the past, 
present, and future of America's health care system. I encourage all 
Americans to take part in this week by visiting their local health 
center and celebrating the important partnership between America's 
health centers and the communities they serve.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Golden Valley 
Health Centers for their work to provide quality health care for the 
communities of the San Joaquin Valley. It is both fitting and 
appropriate that we honor them and recognize the role they play in 
maintaining the wellbeing of our communities during National Health 
Center Week.

                          ____________________