We’re just a few days into the New Year and there are encouraging signs that health centers are getting some well deserved attention as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.  First, in Michigan, the work that U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow has done on behalf of expanding affordable care garnered attention in the local The News Herald.  Stabenow toured a health center, where the Michigan Primary Care Association presented her with the NACHC Distinguished Champion Award.  “Many Michigan families rely on Community Health Centers to receive basic medical services, and thanks to the great work these groups do, more patients are getting the critical health care they need,” Stabenow told the News Herald.

 Jackson Citizen Patriot, another Michigan newspaper, used the accomplishments of health centers to make the case for continued funding and fixing the health center funding cliff, noting in its editorial,  that “while we support Congress’ efforts to be fiscally judicious, we believe dollars spent on Community Health Centers [sic] are dollars well-spent.”

We also note that the year 2014 also closed out with health center leaders taking pen in hand to make the case for fixing the funding cliff.  Minnesota is a case in point.  “Everyone has heard the term ‘too big to fail,’ ” writes Jonathan Watson, Public Policy Director of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers in an editorial published by the  MinnPost.  “Community Health Centers are, in contrast, ‘too effective to fail.’ Fixing the primary care cliff during the lame duck session would prove the pundits right (for once): Congress can indeed work together and avert a health-care crisis of primary care in our state.”

Stay tuned for updates as we track the local and national headlines featuring health centers.