By Angie Stewart

When  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the award of $727 million to 143 Community Health Centers on October 8, 2010, it was a great day for health care.   This first installment of  Affordable Care Act funds will go toward the real work of expanding primary care by addressing crucial renovation and new construction needs at health centers. 

Now that it has been a couple weeks, we’re wondering how health centers plan to use these funds.   Here are a few highlights:

• Riggs Community Health Center in Lafayette, IN will expand its facilities by 10,000 square feet to serve up to 5,000 more patients a year.
• Rocking Horse Community Health Center in Springfield, OH is adding a 40,000-square-foot facility that will be house up to 40 new exam rooms.
• Samuel U. Rodgers Community Health Center in Kansas City, MO will build a new 60,700-square-foot facility that will serve an additional 7,500 new patients.
• Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in Ahoskie, NC is planning to build a new facility that will act as a “one-stop shop” for primary care, pediatrics, and behavioral health.
• Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Cornelius, OR plans to construct a new 42,000-square-foot wellness center to replace the current aging clinic and offer primary care, behavioral health, a pharmacy, and health education services.
• Loudoun Community Health Center in Leesburg, VA, currently housed in donated hospital space, will be constructing a new 25,000-square-foot building that will expand the patient base by approximately 7,000 people.

We know there are a lot more health centers out there doing great things with their first Affordable Care Act investment—let us know what you’re up to!