[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNITION FOR NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK 2003

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I recognize the National Health 
Center Week that will be celebrated from August 10 to 16, 2003. Health 
centers provide services to over 10 million people living in 
underserved areas through the United States, with about 50 percent of 
the users being from rural areas such as South Dakota.
  Community health centers have a longstanding history of providing 
quality primary health care services to medically underserved 
populations. Providing care to one of every 12 rural Americans and 
tending to needs of the increasing number of uninsured individuals, 
health centers provide medical attention to those who would otherwise 
lack access to health care. A unique aspect of community health centers 
allows them to individualize their center to meet the specific needs of 
a particular community. By partnering with community organizations, 
schools and businesses, health centers are able to best meet the health 
care needs of individuals in each respective community.
  I want to pay special recognition to the Community HealthCare 
Association in South Dakota, and all of the staff at the association 
for the fine work they do on behalf of South Dakota. Furthermore, I 
want to commend all of the dedicated health care professionals in the 
health centers throughout South Dakota who work day in and day out 
devoting their lives to delivering critical health care to those most 
in need.
  At this time, there are 25 community health centers serving 
individuals across my State and I am working with my colleagues in 
Congress and the administration to greatly increase the number of these 
centers nationwide. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, 
I am pleased to have recently voted in committee to increase funding by 
$122 million over last year's funding, for a total of $1.62 billion for 
the Nation's community health centers next year. I will continue to 
work with my colleagues to see that we are able to double funding for 
these medical centers by 2006.
  Once again, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the National 
Health Care Center Week on behalf of the South Dakota Community 
HealthCare Association and the many thousands of South Dakotans who may 
continue to benefit through this important program.

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