IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 381

Expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be established a

National Health Center Week to raise awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, and homeless health centers.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 26, 2000

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself, Mr. SHIMKUS, and Mr. CAPUANO) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Government Reform

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be

established a National Health Center Week to raise

awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, and homeless health centers.

Whereas community, migrant, 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 1,029 such health centers serving more than 11,000,000 people at 3,200 health delivery

sites, spanning urban and rural communities in all 50

States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and

the Virgin Islands;
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Whereas such health centers have provided cost-effective,

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, meeting escalating health needs, and reducing

health disparities;

Whereas these health centers provide care to 1 of every 10

uninsured Americans, 1 of every 8 low-income Americans,

and 1 of every 12 rural Americans, and these Americans

would otherwise lack access to health care;

Whereas these health centers and other innovative programs

in primary and preventive care reach out to more than

500,000 homeless persons and 600,000 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, 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 between 10 and

40 percent;

Whereas these health centers are built by community initiative;

Whereas Federal grants provide seed money empowering

communities to find partners and resources and to recruit doctors and needed health professionals;

Whereas Federal grants on average contribute 28 percent of

such a health center’s budget, with the remainder pro-
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vided by State and local governments, medicare, medicaid, private contributions, private insurance, and patient fees;

Whereas these health centers are community oriented and patient focused;

Whereas these health centers tailor their services to fit the

special needs and priorities of communities, working together with schools, businesses, churches, community organizations, foundations, and State and local governments;

Whereas these 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 these health centers, with a total operating budget

of $4,000,000,000, bolster and stabilize communities by

stimulating development and investment, generating more

than $14,000,000,000 in community economic development each year;

Whereas these health centers engage citizen participation and

provide jobs for 50,000 community residents; and

Whereas the establishment of a National Community Health

Center Week for the week beginning on August 20, 2000,

would raise awareness of the health services provided by

these health centers: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) there should be established a National Com4 munity Health Center Week to raise awareness of
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1 health services provided by community, migrant, and

2 homeless health centers; and

3 (2) the President should issue a proclamation

4 calling on the people of the United States and inter5 ested organizations to observe such a week with ap6 propriate programs and activities.

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