What’s New?
Loudoun Community Health Center to Receive Stimulus Funds
The Loudoun Community Health Center will receive $1.3 million in grant money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act over the next two years, the White House announced on March 2.
The money is part of $155 million in grants for 126 Community Health Centers nationwide included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) that President Barack Obama announced last week as he introduced Kathleen Sebelius as his nominee to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Community Health Centers, primary care and prevention are at the heart of my plan for an affordable, accessible health care system,” said Obama. “The construction and expansion of Community Health Centers will help create thousands of new jobs and provide critical assistance to Americans who have lost their jobs and their health care.”
The ARRA funds awarded to the Loudoun Community Health Center and others across the country will be administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The stimulus funding to the nonprofit Loudoun Community Health Center translates into $650,000 each year for the next two years. HRSA grants typically account for only about 19 percent of a health center’s revenue. The remainder comes from individual donors, county and state grants, foundation support, insurance and patient payments. Charges for services are on a sliding scale, with the poorest patients paying only nominal fees.
“This grant is extremely important to us, but it covers only a part of what it takes to run such a comprehensive clinic,” said Stephanie Kenyon, chief operating officer of the Loudoun Community Health Center. “With nearly a $2 million annual operating budget, we need to work hard to raise the additional funds necessary to meet the escalating demand for our services. With so many people in Loudoun losing their jobs and health care benefits, we must rely on the generosity of our donors to help us help our patients in need.”
The funds are intended to make up the difference between what a patients pays, which may be as little as $15 per visit, and what it actually costs LCHC to provide services, typically around $150 per visit. The grant will also help the Loudoun Community Health Center to create local jobs, while helping to provide comprehensive primary and preventive health care to people in need, including those who have no insurance coverage or the financial means to afford medical care.
“We are thrilled that the tremendous work of the Loudoun Community Health Center has been recognized,”” said Susan Jane Stack, president of the board of directors. “The demand for our services continues to rise as the economy weakens, so this federal assistance comes at a critical time. Just two weeks ago, we were discussing whether we needed to cut jobs. This grant means we can actually create more jobs in Loudoun County to meet the demand.”
Since opening in May 2007, more than 5,000 patients have been cared for at the Loudoun Community Health Center, most of whom are either low-income or uninsured. It is the only charity in Loudoun County caring for children, babies and the elderly, as well as adults. It is also one of the few practices in the area accepting new Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Debra Dever, CEO of the Loudoun Community Health Center, said, “More and more families in Loudoun are finding themselves unable to afford health insurance. Becoming a Federally Qualified Health Center ensures that vital health services remain available to those in need.” Dever’s many years of experience in running community health centers in other states proved crucial to winning the federal grant.
A total of five community health centers in Virginia were approved for funding, including two in Richmond, one in New Canton, one in Woodbridge and the Loudoun Community Health Center in Leesburg. The complete list of grantees can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/hrsa/applicant.html.
The Loudoun Community Health Center provides medical care to anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay, whether they have insurance or not. For more information, go to www.LoudounCHC.org.
For more information about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), or to find an HRSA clinic, go to www.FindAHealthCenter.hrsa.gov.