Some sobering news from the U.S. Census: the number of people without health insurance is growing for the first time in 10 years. The number jumped to 27.5 million, up from 25.6 million in 2017 — or 7.9 percent in 2017 to 8.5 percent in 2018. It was also the first year-to-year increase in uninsured …
Author: Amy Simmons Farber
Some Place to Go When There’s No Place to Go
Bob’s story found its way to our desk, tucked inside the 2018 Annual Report of Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS). Bob, 78, was left early one morning at the door of the health center’s homeless services facility. He was wrapped in cardboard and a blanket. He had been on a harrowing journey between a hospital, …
Update on the 2019 NACHC CHI
The 2019 NACHC Community Health Institute and EXPO ended a packed day of education sessions, speakers, and a crowded exhibit with a “Disco Inferno” explosion of food and music. We started the morning at the General Session with U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), a longtime champion of health centers, who reminded the gathering that, despite …
Report from the NACHC CHI
One remarkable aspect of the 2019 NACHC Community Health Institute and EXPO is that this is the 50th year of the conference. At the half-century mark, the national gathering is getting bigger than ever, with more than 2,500 attendees and 160 exhibitors in the EXPO Hall. The conference also marks a transition of leadership on the …
The NACHC CHI Kicks Off in Chicago
The 2019 NACHC Community Health Institute (CHI) and EXPO is underway in Chicago, with more than 2,700 health center leaders from around the country gathered under one roof (media advisory). “Leadership, Collaboration, Innovation: Shaping the Future of Health Center Delivery,” is the theme of this year’s conference, which is chock full of education sessions and …
Veterans Get More Options for Care
As a result of the MISSION Act signed into law last year with bipartisan support, the Veterans Administration has established the Veterans Community Care Program, which will offer veterans expanded care options from non-VA providers including Community Health Centers. Under the new program, veterans facing a wait of 20 days or more, or who must …
$100 Million Telehealth Initiative Unveiled at VA Health Center
High-tech innovation can happen in the unlikeliest places. Take, for instance, Laurel Fork, Virginia, where the Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), visited Tri-Area Community Health Center to unveil a $100 million telehealth initiative. Commissioner Brendan Carr said the Connected Care Pilot Program will support telehealth for low-income Americans across the country, including those living …
Health Center Leader Recognized for Efforts after California Wildfire
Every once in a while we like to shine a light on a health center leader who demonstrates resilience when confronted with a challenge. One such person is Gabriela Bernal-Leroi, Chief Operating Officer for Santa Rosa Community Health (SRCH). In the fall of 2017, a massive wildfire ravaged Northern California, forcing 90,000 people from their …
National HIV Testing Day
National HIV Testing Day is June 27th. On this annual observance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get into treatment right away if they have HIV. The theme is #DoingItMyWay, a call to action for people to get tested in a …
Rural Americans Struggle with Access to Care
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 …