[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7716-S7717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF BURLINGTON

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
Community Health Centers of Burlington for 50 years of extraordinary 
service.
  Today, the Community Health Centers of Burlington--CHCB--is the 
second largest federally qualified health center--FQHC--in Vermont, 
serving over 30,000 patients at eight locations. Fifty years ago, when 
they opened their doors in 1971 as the People's Free Clinic in a small 
storefront in Burlington's Old North End, the center was run by 
volunteers and served just 50 patients each week. And while they have 
grown tremendously since those early days, CHCB has maintained a 
commitment to what the founders of the clinic at the time described as 
``a new kind of health care,'' rooted in the understanding that people 
from all walks of life deserves high quality, affordable healthcare.
  In 1989, CHCB was designated as a federal Healthcare for the Homeless 
site and, in 1993, officially became an FQHC. Becoming an FQHC meant 
CHCB was able to access important grants from the Federal Government, 
improvement reimbursement rate for care, and offer a sliding fee scale, 
so no one would be turned away because they could not afford the care 
they needed. But let me be clear: Health centers like CHCB are not 
exclusively for those who have nowhere else to go. For many people 
living in the Burlington area and across Vermont, community health 
centers like CHCB are the provider of choice because they provide 
timely access to high-quality care in community-centered clinics. In 
fact, today, approximately one-third of all CHCB patients are covered 
by private health insurance. Another reason that FQHCs are so popular 
and used by so many people in Vermont and across the country is that 
they also offer dental care. CHCB first added dental services into its 
main site in 2004, and today, 7000 patients receive dental care at one 
of three CHCB locations. Further, in addition to offering primary care 
and oral healthcare, FQHCs also offer mental healthcare and substance 
use disorder treatment, as well as low-cost prescription drugs. It is 
clear why nearly one-in-three Vermonters rely on FQHCs like CHCB for 
their care.
  In 2012, the Community Health Centers of Burlington was able to 
utilize funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 
renovate its main location, known as the Riverside Health Center, 
allowing for updated patient care rooms; laboratory space; dental 
operatories; and integrated psychiatry, counseling, and substance use

[[Page S7717]]

disorder treatment. Understanding that many Vermonters outside of the 
Burlington area struggled to access affordable care, CHCB established a 
rural practice in the Champlain Islands. The health center also 
expanded into Winooski in 2017, in partnership with Winooski Family 
Health. But CHCB's expansion is not simply about growing the number of 
locations. They have also continued to expand the services offered, 
including ensuring they can offer culturally competent care to the 
growing New American community. Today, CHCB offers translation services 
to over 45 languages at their sites, making care not just affordable 
but understandable to all who need it.
  The Community Health Centers of Burlington is an excellent example of 
why federally qualified health centers are so important. To my mind, 
there is no question that healthcare is a human right and health 
centers like CHCB play an enormously important role in making sure that 
no one is denied care because of their income. That is why I have 
continually fought to protect and expand Federal funding for community 
health centers throughout my time in Congress. I am proud that during 
the negotiations of the Affordable Care Act, I was successful in 
securing mandatory funding for these health centers, knowing that they 
would be better served by knowing that they could rely on funding for 
the Federal Government for years to come. I have continued to fight for 
funding for FHQCs during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing 
how critical they are to keeping patients healthy and connected to 
their communities during these extremely challenging times. I am 
grateful to all of my colleagues here in the Senate and in the House of 
Representatives who have joined me in this effort throughout the years.
  To the staff of CHCB, I want to say that I know that your hard work 
and dedication is at the heart of CHCB's success. I know it is not 
always easy to work in primary care, and I am grateful for your 
efforts. And to the patients who rely on CHCB each year, know that I am 
glad you have entrusted your care to them and that I will do everything 
in my power to ensure they are there to care for you for decades to 
come. And as you take time to celebrate your many successes over the 
past 50 years, I know you are also looking toward the opportunities and 
challenges that lay ahead for the future. I look forward to continuing 
to work with you to tackle the challenges, like further expanding 
access and care, reducing costs, and recruiting and retaining a 
talented workforce dedicated to primary care. I will also stand with 
you as you find new opportunities for success and growth. While the 
issues we face are enormous, I know that community health centers like 
CHCB are a key to solving them.
  I sincerely congratulate the entire Community Health Centers of 
Burlington family on this momentous occasion and wish you another 50 
years of delivering compassionate, professional, and innovative 
healthcare services to your fellow Vermonters.

                          ____________________