[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16389-16390]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now 
proceed to S. Res. 31.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
committee is discharged, and the clerk will report the resolution by 
title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 31) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate that the week of August 7, 2005, be designated as 
     ``National Health Center Week'' in order to raise awareness 
     of health services provided by community, migrant, public 
     housing, and homeless health centers, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the purpose of this resolution, expressing 
the sense of the Senate with regard to August 7 being designated as 
National Health Center Week, is to raise awareness of the tremendous 
health services that are provided by homeless health centers and 
migrant care centers and community health centers, and other purposes. 
I commend Senator Coleman for this resolution.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk 
be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the preamble be 
agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1302) was agreed to, as follows:

       On page 4, strike lines 1 through 4 and insert:
       ``(2) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities''

  The resolution (S. Res. 31), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 31

       Whereas community, migrant, public housing, and homeless 
     health centers are nonprofit, community owned and operated 
     health providers and are vital to the Nation's communities;
       Whereas there are more than 1,000 such health centers 
     serving more than 15,000,000 people in over 3,600 
     communities;
       Whereas such health centers are found in urban and rural 
     communities in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, 
     Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands;
       Whereas such health centers have provided cost-effective, 
     high-quality health care to the Nation's poor and medically 
     underserved (including the working poor, the uninsured, and 
     many high-risk and vulnerable populations), acting as a vital 
     safety net in the Nation's health delivery system;
       Whereas these health centers provide care to 1 of every 7 
     uninsured individuals, 1 of every 9 Medicaid beneficiaries, 1 
     of every 7 people of color, and 1 of every 9 rural Americans, 
     all of whom would otherwise lack access to health care;
       Whereas these health centers are engaged with other 
     innovative programs in primary and preventive care to reach 
     out to over 621,000 homeless persons and more than 709,000 
     farm workers;
       Whereas these health centers make health care responsive 
     and cost-effective by integrating the delivery of primary 
     care with aggressive outreach, patient education, 
     transportation, translation, and enabling support services;

[[Page 16390]]

       Whereas these health centers increase the use of preventive 
     health services such as immunizations, Pap smears, 
     mammograms, and glaucoma screenings;
       Whereas in communities served by these health centers, 
     infant mortality rates have been reduced over the past 4 
     years even as infant mortality rates across the country have 
     risen;
       Whereas these health centers are built by community 
     initiative, and run by the patients they serve;
       Whereas Federal grants provide seed money empowering 
     communities to find partners and resources to recruit doctors 
     and needed health professionals;
       Whereas Federal grants on average contribute 25 percent of 
     such a health center's budget, with the remainder provided by 
     State and local governments, Medicare, Medicaid, private 
     contributions, private insurance, and patient fees;
       Whereas there are more than 100 health centers that receive 
     no Federal grant funding, yet continue to serve their 
     communities regardless of their patients' ability to pay;
       Whereas all health centers tailor their services to fit the 
     special needs and priorities of their communities, working 
     together with schools, businesses, churches, community 
     organizations, foundations, and State and local governments;
       Whereas all health centers contribute to the health and 
     well-being of their communities by keeping children healthy 
     and in school and helping adults remain productive and on the 
     job;
       Whereas all health centers encourage citizen participation 
     and provide jobs for nearly 100,000 community residents; and
       Whereas the designation of the week of August 7, 2005, as 
     ``National Health Center Week'' would raise awareness of the 
     health services provided by all health centers: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of August 7, 2005, as ``National 
     Health Center Week''; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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