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 pro-
vided 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) sub-
mitted 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, mi-
grant, and homeless health centers.
Whereas community, migrant, and homeless health centers
are nonprofit, community owned and operated health pro-
viders and are vital to the Nation’s communities;
Whereas there are more than 1,029 such health centers serv-
ing 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;
•HCON 381 IH
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 sys-
tem, 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, trans-
lation, 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, in-
fant mortality rates have been reduced between 10 and
40 percent;
Whereas these health centers are built by community initia-
tive;
Whereas Federal grants provide seed money empowering
communities to find partners and resources and to re-
cruit doctors and needed health professionals;
Whereas Federal grants on average contribute 28 percent of
such a health center’s budget, with the remainder pro-
•HCON 381 IH
vided by State and local governments, medicare, med-
icaid, private contributions, private insurance, and pa-
tient fees;
Whereas these health centers are community oriented and pa-
tient focused;
Whereas these health centers tailor their services to fit the
special needs and priorities of communities, working to-
gether with schools, businesses, churches, community or-
ganizations, foundations, and State and local govern-
ments;
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 produc-
tive 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 develop-
ment 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
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) there should be established a National Com-
munity Health Center Week to raise awareness of
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health services provided by community, migrant, and
homeless health centers; and
(2) the President should issue a proclamation
calling on the people of the United States and inter-
ested organizations to observe such a week with ap-
propriate programs and activities.
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