Federally funded community health centers have been awarded a total of more than $1.4 million to open clinics in Hot Springs, Earle and Fayetteville, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.
The funding, made available under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, comprises $541,667 to help Healthy Connections in Mena open the Hot Springs clinic and $441,667 each to West Memphis-based East Arkansas Family Health Center for the Earle clinic and Springdale-based Community Clinic for the Fayetteville facility.
In addition, ARcare in Augusta will receive $1,007,179 to open a clinic in Barlow, Ky., said Mary Leath, chief executive of the Community Health Centers of Arkansas.
Community Clinic Director Kathy Grisham said the money awarded to her center will help it pay for initial salary expenses and equipment for the clinic the center plans to open in a storefront on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in south Fayetteville.
"We're delighted that we can go ahead with our plans to do this," Grisham said. "We feel like it's a huge need."
The money is part of $101 million awarded to add 164 health center sites in 33 states and two U.S. territories, according to a Health and Human Services Department news release.
Supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, health centers operate in areas that lack other providers; or have high numbers of people who lack insurance and have health problems. Patients pay fees that vary according to income.
"Even though we have the private option, there are still a lot of people who are to this day uninsured, and that's the population that we see a lot of," said Grisham, referring to the Medicaid program that buys commercial health insurance coverage for low-income adults.
Health centers' clinics also attract families in search of health care providers who will accept Medicaid reimbursement, she said.
"We don't turn anyone away, and a private clinic can," Grisham said.
Arkansas' 12 health centers operate more than 100 clinics in 51 counties.
Martin Kramer, a spokesman for the Health Resources and Services Administration, said the grant recipients were selected by a committee of experts based on factors such as the community's need and how quickly the sites could be opened.
The facilities must be opened within 120 days, he said.
Metro on 05/06/2015