Under HR 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the “sequester” – or across-the-board cut for all government programs – was delayed for two months, setting the new deadline for March 1,  less than three weeks away!

The impact of the sequester on health centers in Indianapolis and across the country will be significant.  

If the sequester is not delayed or replaced, the Health Centers Program will face a cut of $115 million, which means that approximately 900,000 patients will lose access to care at a Health Center – both existing and potential new patients, the National Association of Community Health Centers reports.

Virtually all existing health centers could expect to see the impact on their federal health center grants. These potential cuts will curb the growth of the Health Center program by limiting expansion to meet the needs of the newly insured. These cuts will also jeopardize the stability of current health centers by reducing annual funding for the program.

Failure to avert the sequester will have an immediate impact on health centers’ ability to serve the patients in our community.

It is critical that Congress find a way to avert the sequester to ensure that health centers have the continued ability to serve patients in need, improve health outcomes and reduce health care expenditures.

We know that federal spending is going to be cut; the question is how it will be done and what programs will suffer the most.

If you want to have any influence on those decisions, you need to act NOW by calling and emailing your Members of Congress.  They need to hear from YOU and as many other advocates like you as possible to make sure they get the message that they need to protect health centers and the patients they serve!

EMAIL your Members of Congress TODAY to let them know what’s at stake for your health center and the patients it serves if they fail to stop the sequester immediately.

Now, we want to hear from you, learn about you, and find out more about how we can work together to serve our clients to the best of our ability.

Here are three steps that will help us to do just that:

1.  #GiveACareAbout … yourself!

   We give a care about what you do, where you are located in the great city of Indianapolis, and how you are involved with community happenings and making Indy a better place to live.  You can quickly introduce yourself now by commenting below, or you can wait until later and tweet us, or start following us on Facebook and introduce yourself there.  Whatever way you choose, we want to know more about you and what YOU #giveacareabout.

2. #GiveACareAbout. … those who need it most!

   In our blog series earlier this month, we introduced you to our several of our outreach programs. Our Homeless Initiative Program, Better Indy Babies & Healthy Families program, School-Based Services, and our Health Promotions team all serve those who are most in need in the Indianapolis community.  We will often bring you opportunities to give a care about the program or programs you are interested in.

3. #GiveACareAbout … telling others how they can help!

   Share your #giveacareabout stories with your friends on Facebook!  When you tweet us what you #giveacareabout, you will get retweeted to our network.  Or, if you don’t want to be as vocal about it, then simply sign-up for our monthly e-newsletter and forward it to your friends.  Later this month, we will have a unique way to share what you #giveacareabout, so keep your eyes peeled!

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2011, but this second half is looking to be an exciting one!