Construction of our NEW Barrington Health & Dental Center

Yet even as welders and electricians prepare the building for its late 2011 opening, a funding battle brewing in Congress threatens to choke off new health services for Indy and other communities across Indiana.

As Congress looks to cut its way to a trimmer deficit, the 2012 federal budget is on the chopping block. In hard economic times, health and human services programs like Community Health Centers are often the first line items to be cut or eliminated – even though the number Americans needing services is on the rise as people lose their jobs, their health insurance, and their homes. Why cut something that actually saves taxpayers money?

At this stage in the long, complicated budget process, we have one day left to make a difference for access to care in Indy! TOMORROW – May 20^th – is the deadline for members of Congress to show their support for Community Health Centers by making a program request to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, asking for increased discretionary funding for Health Centers in FY12.

Take 5 minutes TODAY to call or jot a quick e-mail to your Representative! Encourage him or her to support the recommended discretionary funding level that will lower our nation’s health care costs AND strengthen primary care – especially in Indianapolis.

In the time it takes to get a cup of coffee, you can make a difference for the future of our city!  Click the link on ‘to call or jot a quick email’ to do so!

[T]his major reduction will — in this year alone — negate the ability to provide basic health care services to over 5 million of our most vulnerable Americans, and will seriously undermine the ability of health centers to provide services to 40 million people by 2015.” – press release from the National Association of Community Health Centers

This cut in health center funding has received mixed feelings from people everywhere.  The good thing is that, according to Congressional summaries, no health center SHOULD have to close its doors and funding to continue services as is will remain.  However, with the good, comes the bad.  Community health center expansion is halted. This will affect the millions of people in this country who, today, cannot access basic primary and preventive health care services in their local communities. It also affects health care costs, as these underserved communities must continue relying on expensive visits to the emergency room for their basic primary care. With cuts in appropriations, the Department of Health and Human Services will have to redirect funds from the Affordable Care Act in order to simply maintain operations as they are today.

Feel free to research the links above to learn more about the state of the Health Center Program TODAY, but as advocates giving a care about health centers in Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, AND throughout our nation, we need to keep forging ahead.

Here are three ways to help community health center expansion despite the funding cuts.

1.  Continue to call, email, and fax letters to your legislators
   - Remind your Representatives and Senators that even the slightest setback will not discourage us from emphasizing the importance of health center funding.  This will give us more clout and respect as an advocacy group, and our Congressmen will have to continue to take us seriously.
2. Educate your friends and family about community health centers.
   - Plenty of people STILL do not understand the mission and role of community health centers.  Spreading the good news of the work done in our centers, the money the health care system saves, and the number of lives touched by FQHCs can only help gain more advocates who will be easily persuaded to sign a petition or send and email when called upon to do so.
3. Keep working with the same amount of passion.
   - Whether you are a front desk worker, a physician, a nurse midwife, or finance staff person, continue to approach your job with the same passion day in and day out.  Our funding may have been cut, but that should not mean that our quality of care has been cut. The passion of CHC staff is what makes advocacy easy!

 What is one project that you would like to see done to help with Health Center Advocacy?  Share your ideas below!!

In Indiana, two new health centers will close and more than 85,500 patients will lose access to care. Nationally, health centers will lose the capacity to serve 11 million patients and 127 health centers across the country will have to close their doors. (this according to IPHCA and NACHC)

This is what could happen if Congress approves a $1.3 billion spending cut to the Community Health Centers Program, in its effort to finalize a national budget for FY2011.  Without community health centers like HealthNet, few options remain, forcing patients to use local emergency rooms for primary care. Not only is ER care expensive, but it also leaves the patient without a medical home for ongoing care.

Funding cuts to Health Centers represent:

• Greater cost to taxpayers and insured patients
  • $1.67 per patient per day at a FQHC; $2.64 average at all physician offices
• Less patients receiving preventative care
  • Requiring more frequent trips to the ER
• Up to $122 billion of health care costs to the American people
  • Taxpayers get a significant return on that investment with FQHCs
• Hospitals have to waste time on primary care
  • Rather than saving lives of the seriously ill and injured

For the uninsured – whose ranks include the poor and the well-off, the employed and the jobless – the issue is more than just a political debate. It is very personal.

Where do I go for care for my family?

The numbers of people who need health care has not decreased, and in denying them access to affordable care, we confront a crisis that poses an even greater risk to our nation’s health — higher rates of chronic disease, higher health-care costs, more needless illness and deaths.

If you give a care about keeping Indianapolis a healthy place to live, take five minutes TODAY to help our city:

1.  Sign up to be a health care advocate.

2. Call or email your Representatives to support all community health centers in Indiana by maintaining level funding for the Health Centers Program for fiscal 2011.

On behalf of the 50,000 patients we serve, thank you for making a difference!