WATERVILLE—In conjunction
with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), HealthReach
Community Health Centers is observing National Health Center Week from August 9
to 15. An annual event for over 30 years, the week’s theme for 2020 is “Community Health Centers: Lighting the
Way for Healthier Communities Today and in the Future”. Community Health Centers,
with roots both in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and President Lyndon
B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, were established with the mission to not only improve
health outcomes for residents of communities where there has been the most
need, but also empower those community members by connecting them to necessary
resources and support.“Beyond being a resource
for healthcare services, community health centers are uniquely situated to
collaborate with our communities to create a healthier future,” Amy Madden,
physician at Belgrade Regional Health Center and HealthReach’s Clinical Medical
Director, said. “Part of this work involves gaining insight into what our
patients identify to be important issues to their health, and then working with
community partners to address those needs. This collaboration is essential for
the future health of our communities.”This community-based model
of healthcare has endured for over 50 years, and Community Health Centers now
serve as the primary medical home for over 29 million individuals living in
12,000 urban and rural areas of the United States. Since the opening of its
first health center in Bingham in 1975, HealthReach underwent various changes
before arriving at its current structure: a network of 11 Federally Qualified
Health Centers in Central and Western Maine.As part of this network, HealthReach
has continued to create a legacy of community service and collaboration while
providing high quality medical, behavioral and dental services to over 28,000
Maine residents and visitors in over 80 rural communities. To ensure access to
everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare and major insurances. In
addition, staff members offer assistance with applications for programs that
help with the cost of healthcare and medications, including the Health
Insurance Marketplace.
A private non-profit with
a 45-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants and by the
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $4,580,070 with
82.5 percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of
the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor are an
endorsement by, the HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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