To the editor:
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, local community health centers have been key to ensuring everyone can access affordable, quality health care.
These centers are locally run yet part of a national network serving nearly 29 million people. They also save American taxpayers $24 billion a year in health-care costs by preventing and managing chronic diseases.
Community health centers are not ordinary medical clinics — they are also problem-solvers who reach beyond the exam room to care for the whole person by providing access to necessities like food and housing resources. The centers also care for everyone, regardless of insurance status.
Lincoln Community Health Center provides healthcare for people of all ages. Services include annual exams, preventative screenings, labs, reproductive healthcare, and diagnostic care with referrals to specialists when needed.
However, to survive and thrive well beyond the pandemic, Congress must pass emergency and long-term funding for community health centers. Thank you to Rep. Kurt Schrader and Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden for showing leadership in supporting and sponsoring legislation that will protect health centers from losing a major part of their funding.
As part of National Health Center Week August 7-13, we invite you to support a community health center in your neighborhood and celebrate their mission and accomplishments.
— Ann Allard-Robinette, Lincoln Community Health Center/Newport
