By Yvette Crenshaw
National Health Center Week (August 7-13) is is here — during this week health centers across the country will be given the opportunity to share their stories and showcase the various services that they provide. This year, several health centers have expressed their excitement about the celebration and their plans to celebrate with patients, newcomers and elected officials in and around their communities. Health fairs, screenings and grand openings are just a few of the events that health centers plan to host.
See the presidential proclamation for National Health Center Week from President Obama.
“Celebrating America’s Health Centers: Serving Locally, Leading Nationally” is the theme for National Health Center Week 2011. Over the next week, health centers will be educating communities and demonstrating how they are doing just that – serving locally and leading nationally.
Community Health Centers currently serve over 20 million Americans, operating in over 8,000 locations in all 50 states. They provide primary care to one quarter of America’s lower income families. Health centers have doubled both the number of patients served and the number of communities in the last decade. Every new Community Health Center means not only better health outcomes, but also good local jobs for the communities that they serve.
Here are a few of the events scheduled to be hosted during NCHW:
- Choptank Community Health System will be celebrating NHCW at the Fassett Magee Health Center in Cambridge, MA on August 9, 2011 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
- Prospect Hill Community Health Center in Prospect Hill, NC will be celebrating an Open House on August 10, 2011 at 11am.
- Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center in Allston, MA will be hosting an Open House and Mini Fair on August 10, 2011 from 8:00am to 10:00am.
- Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation and Health Center in Hillsboro, OR will be celebrating the opening of a new wellness center as well as hosting their fourth annual health and resource fair on August 12, 2011.
For more information please be sure to visit the National Health Center Week website and follow NACHC on Facebook and Twitter!