COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.

CELEBRATES NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK 2013

Multiple CHC sites host events to support the yearly campaign of celebrating America’s Health Centers: Transforming Health Care in our Local Communities

MIDDLETOWN, CT-August 6, 2013: Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) recognizes National Health Center Week 2013 (NHCW) by hosting multiple free, family-friendly events, at various sites, to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers as local gateways to healthcare. This year’s national theme is “Celebrating America’s Health Centers: Transforming Health Care in Our Local Communities”. This theme showcases the access to cost effective, high quality health care that community health centers make available to all, but particularly to the uninsured and underserved and special populations across the country. Community health centers serve more than 22 million people nationwide and CHC itself cares for 130,000 patients across our state of Connecticut. Health Centers are leaders in prevention, managing chronic illness, and integrating medicine, dentistry and behavioral health under one roof—and in one electronic health record.

Each health fair will have fun and healthy events along with music, prizes, various program information and unique activities/medical screenings that will vary by site. Events will be taking place at the following locations:

• Monday, August 12^th, 9am-12pm, CHC of Clinton, 114-116 East Main Street, Clinton
• Tuesday, August 13^th, 10am-2pm, CHC of New London, 1 Shaw’s Cove, New London
• Wednesday, August 14^th, 11am-2pm, CHC of New Britain, 85 Lafayette Street, New Britain
• Thursday, August 15^th, 12pm-3pm, CHC of Middletown, 675 Main Street, Middletown
• Saturday, August 17^th, 11am-3pm, Ryan Park, 1 Raymond Street, Norwalk- “SoNo Day Out”

The Community Health Center, Inc. started in 1972 and is one of the oldest and largest health centers in the country. Health centers, such as the Community Health Center, Inc. have compiled a significant record of success. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), federally qualified community health centers are producing $24 billion in annual health system savings while reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and ER visits.  This national network of health centers provides primary and preventive care, as well as dental, mental health, substance abuse and pharmacy services at over 1,200 health centers with approximately 9,000 service delivery sites in every state and territory.

“Studies show when illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and depression are not appropriately managed or prevented, they account for a significant portion of the skyrocketing costs for families and the entire health care system,” said Dr. Margaret Flinter, APRN, Ph.D., senior vice president and clinical director of CHC. “America’s community health centers, like our own state-wide network of 13 centers, have been leaders in showing the value of this approach as an effective way to address more needs, improve health, and contain costs. Our patients not only get the care they need under one roof, but they are treated as individuals, with dignity and respect. This is what health care should be, and what we celebrate during National Health Center Week.”

This week of observance also comes at an important time in regards to welcoming Connecticut’s new Health Insurance Marketplace—Access Health CT.  Due to the Affordable Care Act, the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in July that the Obama Administration awarded $1.6 million to Connecticut health centers to provide enrollment services, which includes the Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) These new tools will help Connecticut residents understand their coverage options and select the plan that best suits their needs when open enrollment begins October 1, 2013. CHC plans to have staff present at each National Health Center Week event that are educated about the marketplace and can begin talking to patients about what they can expect once enrollment begins.

To find out more about National Health Center Week, visit www.healthcenterweek.org.