NACHC Lauds Federal Investment in Prevention and Primary Care Workforce Development
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) commends the recent investments of $500 million recently announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to strengthen primary care and prevention and boost the primary care workforce. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $250 million in new Affordable Care Act investments to support prevention activities and develop the nation’s public health infrastructure, citing the large numbers of deaths among Americans from preventable chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. HHS also announced a series of new investments worth $250 million to increase the number of health care providers and strengthen the primary care workforce (view press release). The aim of this funding is to increase the number of clinicians and strengthen the primary care workforce, which will be essential as Community Health Centers continue to grow through the investments contained in health care reform.
“We deeply appreciate that the Administration is moving swiftly and proactively to change the delivery of health care in America through these very important investments in prevention and workforce,” said Dan Hawkins, Senior Vice President for Policy and Research. “As providers on the frontlines, Community Health Centers know firsthand the power of prevention in reducing chronic disease. The prescription is simple – help people before they become sick and require costlier care. That way, we save lives and reduce health care costs.”
The $250 million investment (view press release) in prevention and public health will support federal, state and community prevention initiatives; boost the integration of primary care services into publicly funded community-based behavioral health settings, obesity prevention and fitness, and tobacco cessation; and support state, local and tribal public health infrastructure to prevent and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
For more information visit www.healthreform.gov.
To find out more about health centers and health reform visit the NACHC Health Reform Hub.
