[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 10, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 48601-48602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17297]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87 , No. 153 / Wednesday, August 10, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 48601]]

                Proclamation 10428 of August 5, 2022

                
National Health Center Week, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Over half a century ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson 
                piloted a program to deliver affordable primary health 
                care to Americans who needed it most. He helped 
                establish community health centers in underserved 
                areas, making medical services accessible to people 
                irrespective of their age, geography, or economic 
                status. President Johnson's philosophy was simple: in a 
                ``Great Society,'' no one is left behind. Today, that 
                ideal lives on. Health centers provide quality medical, 
                dental, and behavioral health care services to more 
                than 30 million Americans each year, and they remain a 
                cornerstone of our public health system. During 
                National Health Center Week, we celebrate the vital 
                role these health centers play in safeguarding the 
                well-being of Americans and honor the heroic staff who 
                keep these facilities running.

                Health care is a right, not a privilege. Yet many 
                people still struggle to obtain the medical services 
                they need. Nearly 4 million Americans remain locked out 
                of Medicaid expansion, and millions more find it 
                difficult to afford prescription drugs, mental health 
                services, and preventive screenings. Access to care is 
                also often unequal--Black and Brown Americans, rural 
                residents, American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, 
                and low-income families consistently report lower rates 
                of coverage and lesser access to primary care. 
                Federally funded health centers meet these challenges 
                head-on by providing medical services--particularly to 
                communities of color, rural communities, and 
                individuals living in poverty--through nearly 1,400 
                community-based organizations operating over 14,000 
                service delivery sites. Given that clinics operate 
                under a patient-majority governing board, health 
                centers ensure that decisions are being directly 
                informed and made by those being served.

                Since taking office, my Administration has strengthened 
                our Nation's health center network. Last year, we 
                invested $7.6 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to 
                strengthen the health center workforce, renovate 
                facilities, and equip them with essential COVID-19 
                medical supplies. We also allotted $400 million from 
                the American Rescue Plan to create a partnership 
                between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
                and AmeriCorps to train the next generation of public 
                health workers, including in community health centers. 
                We prevented sickness and treated illness for millions 
                of Americans. We helped pay salaries for over 272,000 
                full-time health care workers and supporting staff.

                Health centers are central to many of my 
                Administration's priorities. From reducing the cancer 
                death rate by ensuring equitable access to cancer 
                screenings and preventive care to helping Americans 
                live healthier lives through new digital health 
                technologies--we will ensure that health centers are 
                equipped for the future of health care. I remain 
                committed to working with the Congress to double the 
                size of the Health Center Program, to putting even more 
                Americans to work in these centers across our country, 
                and to ensuring that each of us can access health care 
                at an affordable price.

                During National Health Center Week, let us recognize 
                our health centers and staff for their outstanding 
                contributions to communities across America.

[[Page 48602]]

                Let us thank them for their dedication, their service, 
                and their commitment to a stronger, healthier, and more 
                equitable health system.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of 
                August 7 through August 13, 2022, as National Health 
                Center Week.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-17297
Filed 8-9-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P