LPCA Executive Director Releases Statement on Community Health Center Funding Reauthorization

The following statement was released by Gerrelda Davis, executive director for the Louisiana Primary Care Association, in the wake of Congress reauthorizing funding for Community Health Centers:
 

After 130 days, Louisiana’s Community Health Centers are finally breathing a sigh of relief in light of two-year reauthorized funding from Congress. The 385,000 Louisianans who depend on Community Health Centers for their care can rest easy knowing that services will go on uninterrupted. We are enormously proud of the leadership shown by Louisiana’s Congressional delegation and we thank them for putting patients first in their government funding negotiations.

Since Sept. 30, 2017, health center advocates across the country have worked tirelessly to educate our Congressional members on the importance of the Health Centers Program. When the funding deadline lapsed, health centers were at risk of losing 70% of their federal funding – amounting to over $62 million in Louisiana.

While health centers avoided the worst case scenario, the funding crisis still had an adverse impact on our members. We hope that, in the future, Congressional leaders can avoid a “cliff” and renew funds well ahead of the deadline.  

The Louisiana Primary Care Association looks forward to continued discussion and engagement with Louisiana’s Congressional delegation.  It is our goal to ensure that Louisiana’s 250 individual Community Health Center sites remain on a sustainable path well into the future – our communities are depending on it.

Gerrelda Davis
Executive Director
Louisiana Primary Care Association

 

02/14/2018