[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13494]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

 Mr. KING. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
National Association of Community Health Centers, NACHC, for their hard 
work and dedication to providing Americans with the care they need and 
deserve. The association is celebrating 50 years of providing support 
through health centers across the Nation. A series of events will be 
held during National Health Center Week, scheduled for August 9 through 
August 15, to recognize the importance of health care and to celebrate 
50 years of support.
  The NACHC was organized in 1965 and held demonstration programs under 
the Federal Office of Economic Opportunity to help Americans receive 
medical support regardless of their income. Also during this time, the 
first four health care centers opened in Massachusetts, Mississippi, 
Colorado, and New York. Since 1965, the NACHC has worked to address our 
Nation's widespread lack of access to basic health care services.
  Devoted to the mission of, ``promoting the provision of high quality, 
comprehensive and affordable health care that is coordinated, 
culturally and linguistically competent, and community directed for all 
medically underserved populations,'' the NACHC helps educate Americans 
on the importance of health care. The NACHC also provides health 
centers with a unified voice and a common source for research, 
information, training, and advocacy.
  Maine currently has 19 organizations that run 135 health center 
sites. The 19 federally-funded health center organizations in Maine 
serve 184,546 patients, 17.8 percent of whom are uninsured, and create 
over 200 jobs. Mr. President, 89 percent of people relying on these 
centers live in extremely rural areas of the State. These Mainers would 
not be able to access adequate health care services if these sites did 
not exist. The work that has been done in Maine continues to help the 
State become healthier and smarter.
  The theme for this year's National Health Center Week is ``America's 
Health Centers: Celebrating Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future.'' This 
theme showcases the numerous ways in which America's health centers are 
driving and empowering healthier communities and Americans. With more 
than 9,000 delivery sites throughout the Nation, health centers employ 
hundreds of thousands of individuals nationally which, in turn, powers 
local economies.
  During the National Health Center Week, health centers in all 50 
States will be hosting a variety of public events to highlight their 
work in local communities and to honor the elected officials who have 
supported the work of the health centers. I would like to join the 
National Association of Community Health Centers in highlighting the 
success that has been demonstrated over the last 50 years by local 
health centers throughout the Nation.

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