Regional community health centers in Bangor and Cassopolis are among the 39 such centers across Michigan that will be getting American Rescue Plan dollars to support COVID-19 vaccinations and services for vulnerable populations. In fact, between the Intercare Community Health Network anchored in Bangor with additional clinics in Benton Harbor and the team at Lakeland Immediate Care Center in Cassopolis, they will top $10-million from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
All in all, 39 community health centers in Michigan will receive a combined $130,268,250 in American Rescue Plan funding announced today. The funding will be awarded beginning in April by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Health centers like those in our region will be able to use the funds to support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations; deliver needed preventive and primary health care services to those at higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units. The investment will help increase access to vaccinations among hard-hit populations, as well as confidence in the vaccine by empowering local, trusted health professionals in their efforts to expand vaccinations.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra says, “Every American should have the security of knowing they have access to quality, affordable health care, especially as we face a pandemic that has exposed the disparities facing rural, minority, and lower-income communities,” and adds, “The Biden Administration is committed to getting help to those who need it most, and the communities hit hardest by COVID-19 will benefit from these critical investments.”
The Intercare Community Health Network will receive an award totaling $7,978,125 under the plan, while the Lakeland Immediate Care Center in Cass County will draw down on $2,285,750.
HRSA-funded health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver affordable, accessible, quality, and cost-effective primary health care to medically under-served communities and vulnerable populations, including high-need urban, rural, and frontier communities across the country. Health centers serve 1-in-5 people living in rural communities, and 1-in-11 people nationwide. More than 91-percent of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200-percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and nearly 63-percent are racial or ethnic minorities.
For detailed information on how the funding is being distributed to health centers, including an interactive map of which health centers will receive funding, you can visit online at:
https://bphc.hrsa.gov/program-opportunities/american-rescue-plan/awards
