IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 240

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 

be established a National Community Health Center Week to raise awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, 

and homeless health centers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 19, 2003

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mr. 

CAPUANO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Government Reform 

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

there should be established a National Community 

Health Center Week to raise awareness of health services 

provided by community, migrant, public housing, and 

homeless health centers, and for other purposes.

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 13,000,000 people at more than 4,000 health delivery 

sites, spanning urban and rural communities in all 50 
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•HRES 240 IH 

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, meeting escalating health needs, and reducing 

health disparities; 

Whereas these health centers provide care to 1 of every 5 

low-income babies born in America, 1 of every 8 uninsured individuals, 1 of every 9 Medicaid beneficiaries, 1 

of every 9 people of color, and 1 of every 10 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 almost 

750,000 homeless persons and nearly 850,000 farmworkers; 

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; 
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•HRES 240 IH 

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 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 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 engage citizen participation and 

provide jobs for 60,000 community residents; and 

Whereas the establishment of a National Community Health 

Center Week for the week beginning on August 10, 2003, 

would raise awareness of the health services provided by 

these health centers: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) there should be established a National Com4 munity Health Center Week to raise awareness of 
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•HRES 240 IH 

1 health services provided by community, migrant, 

2 public housing, and 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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