By Alex Clift

Early this week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi toured the Mission Neighborhood Health Center in San Francisco, California, giving staff, patients, and the media her perspective on community health centers’ role in health reform.

In her public remarks, Speaker Pelosi made the case for community health centers in reform. She highlighted investments in community health centers funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), saying these investments are just the beginning of Congress’ work to expand Americans’ access to quality, comprehensive care.

Speaker Pelosi described the integral part community health centers will play moving forward, with an expanded role and guaranteed participation in our reformed health system. She emphasized health centers’ critical importance providing primary care in low-income neighborhoods and pledged Congress would ensure health centers expand into more communities and receive reimbursement for almost all families they serve.

The Speaker assured the assembled press and health center staff that Congress would be working all through July to have something to the President by the end of this year, as he has requested.

“We will not fail. Our long-run fiscal health, our economy and most importantly, the health of all Americans is at stake.”