These awards represent the first installment of grants under the President’s Health Centers Initiative, which received more than $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2002 – $175 million more than the previous year’s funding. As many as 200 more grants will be awarded this year for new and expanded health center sites.

In addition, President Bush’s fiscal year 2003 budget plan will further boost health center funding to $1.5 billion, which would allow health centers next year to serve an additional 1 million patients, Secretary Thompson announced today. The Administration’s long-term strategy calls for adding a total of 1,200 new or expanded sites over five years and ultimately doubling the number of patients treated at health centers – almost half of whom are uninsured.

"By expanding services at health centers, we are strengthening the health care safety net for people without health insurance and others living where health care providers remain scarce," Secretary Thompson said. "President Bush and I are committed to expanding and strengthening community health centers over the long run to double the number of patients that they serve."

Today’s grants will fund new health center sites and will allow existing health centers to expand the services they offer. The grants include:

"Health centers are fundamentally important health care delivery systems that enable the indigent and others struggling with health care to get the primary care they need," HRSA Acting Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke said. "These grants strengthen access to care for America’s most vulnerable individuals."

The 18 New Access Point awards will allow 14 Community Health Centers and four Health Care for the Homeless programs to open new sites that will serve an estimated 113,000 Americans.

In addition to the New Access Point awards, seven health centers received grants to expand critical mental health and substance abuse services to underserved communities; two communities received grants to expand existing services provided under the Health Care for the Homeless program, which combines aggressive street outreach with integrated systems of primary care, mental health and substance abuse services, case management, and client advocacy; and 33 health centers received grants to establish or expand oral health services.

The next round of New Access Point applications are under review and awards are expected to be announced within 60 days. New Access Point applications are being accepted for future funding cycles with a deadline of April 30, 2002. Fiscal year 2002 Service Expansion/Improvement applications must be postmarked by March 1, 2002, to be considered for funding.

More information on President Bush’s fiscal year 2003 budget plan for community health centers is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

The list of today’s grant recipients is attached below.

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Fiscal Year 2002 Health Center New Access Point Grants 

CHC – Community Health Center program
HCH – Health Care for the Homeless program

FY 2002 Health Center Service Expansion Grants