SRES31JUL22

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending July 22, 2005

Senate Resolution 31 a resolution 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.

BRIEF

The Resolution recognizes the 1,000 or more health centers that serve 15 million people in 3,600 communities.

The health centers tend to serve the disadvantaged to include the “working poor, the uninsured, and many high-risk and vulnerable populations”, the Resolution preamble said. One particular success story notes that although the infant death rate is rising in the US it is reduced where the health centers are established.

Sponsor: Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (July 19, 2005)

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

MORE INFORMATION

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;

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) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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