Local Health Centers Get Federal Fund |
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 8:35:54 AM - Middletown Ohio |
By: Tara Kunkle
The Butler County Community health centers are expected to receive around $198,000 of $8 million in federal funds. This will be to increase staff, hours and expand pediatric care. The money that was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Ohio public health agencies was made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Ohio community health centers.
The funds are intended to help community health centers to expand their programs at a time when an ever-growing number of Americans are uninsured. In an interview with Tiffany Y. Latta from the Middletown Journal Don Reimer said that it is very timely. Don is the chief financial officer of the Butler County Community Health Consortium. “We saw an increase in patients in the fourth quarter of 2008 and continue to see an increase in uninsured patients along with a mix of new patients.
The county officials will be using the additional funds to increase pediatric care, increase hours and staff at the facilities in Hamilton and Middletown. It was among 32 federally qualified health centers in Ohio that received funds. The funds are required to be used over the next two years either to create or retain approximately 147 health center jobs by expanding hours.
The funds were also the second set of health center grants provided through the Recovery Act and will provide care to an additional 51,039 patients in Ohio in the next two years. President Obama announced grants that were worth $155 million to 126 new health centers.
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