Many rural Americans are struggling with access to health care, according to a new poll that National Public Radio has done with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The poll focused on everyday life in rural America, including economic security, but it was the findings on health …
Author: Amy Simmons Farber
Addressing America’s Maternal Health Crisis
Today’s guest blog post is by NACHC intern Eskedar Girmash. We asked NACHC staff to describe their mothers. Responses included: brave, strong, kind, funny, selfless, young spirited, and loving. Mothers are an integral part of our lives and we’re excited to celebrate them this coming Sunday. Along with the observance of Mother’s Day, we would …
Medicaid Block Grant Plan Gains Momentum in Tennessee
Tennessee legislators have approved legislation to submit a Medicaid block grant plan to the Trump administration. The bill passed last week and now heads to the desk of Governor Bill Lee, who plans to sign it, according to published reports [see Politico story]. The state now has six months to build a formal waiver request …
Thoughts on National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week (April 7-13th) has us ruminating about the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges and bring about positive change in the lives of others. It could be said that Community Health Centers sprang into existence thanks to the spirit and energy of dedicated volunteers and activists. More than 50 years ago …
National Rural Health Day & The Providers
With National Rural Health Day upon us, it is fitting that we talk about the providers in rural areas who work hard to deliver care in communities where there is a higher incidence of chronic disease. Nearly half — 44 percent — of Community Health Centers are located in rural areas. In many cases, these …
Notes From The NACHC P & I Federal Update
It was a great day for attendees at today’s NACHC General Session. George Sigounas, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a funding opportunity of $200 million for health centers to boost access to high-quality integrated behavioral health services, including prevention or treatment of mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders, including …
NACHC P & I is Underway: Notes From the Field about Hill Day
Leagues of Community Health Center advocates went to Capitol Hill today to press for long-term and stabilized funding, and blow up Twitter with an abundance of posts about their visits. Advocates wore the color blue to identify themselves amid the throngs (a lot of other groups were advocating on the Hill today as well) and …
The 2019 NACHC Policy and Issues Forum Kicks Off Today
We’re just a few hours into the 2019 NACHC Policy and Issues Forum (P&I) and already there’s been a frenzy of activity. Thousands of health center advocates have arrived and there’s a heightened buzz of excitement about making a fresh case to Capitol Hill lawmakers about the value of Community Health Centers. To get the …
The Link Between Primary Care and Longer, Healthier Lives
Do people live longer when they have access to a primary care provider? A growing body of evidence suggests there is a link between access to primary care and a longer life. A case in point is a study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine which found that mortality rates are lower in U.S. counties with …
Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On this special day of remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we find ourselves also thinking about how Community Health Centers came into existence as part of a “ripple effect” from the Civil Rights Movement. A group of civil rights activists descended upon rural Mississippi to register voters as part Freedom Summer. What they …