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PINAL COUNTY – AUGUST 9-15, 2015 – Sun Life Family Health Center is celebrating National Health Center Week 2015 (NHCW). It is a weeklong campaign (August 9-15) to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers, the largest and most successful system of primary healthcare.
One of the bright spots in America’s health care system, health centers started 50 years ago as a pilot project during President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. Today, they have compiled a significant record of success that includes:
• Reducing income and ethnic health disparities nationwide, even in the poorest and most challenged communities
• Reducing infant mortality rates
• Producing $24 billion in annual health system savings
• Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the ER
Maintaining high patient satisfaction levels
Health centers serve more than 23 million people nationwide – that’s one in 15 Americans, including 7 million children and 260,000 veterans. Health centers are also increasingly becoming the trusted provider of choice for many families, whether they are insured or not.
Evidence shows patients choose health centers because they are convenient, affordable, and offer a range of services from a team of caring professionals. Studies also show the quality of care at a health center is as good or even better than private practices.
“Every day in our waiting rooms I witness the value of having a patient-centered medical home,” said Sun Life CEO Travis Robinette. “When people have a place to go for regular care, they use it and stay healthier. We provide a range of services including- primary care services, pediatrics, OB-GYN, lab, x-ray, pharmacy, dentistry, diabetes education, and even behavioral health services. Our patients not only get the care they need within one organization, but they are treated as individuals, with dignity and respect. This is what health care should be, and what we celebrate during National Health Center Week.”
Although local solutions, health centers need sustained federal investment to meet the growing demand for their services and help more Americans gain access to affordable healthcare. To learn more about health centers and the #Access is the Answer campaign please visit the following links:
www.nachc.org
www.healthcenterweek.org
You can also follow the #CHC50 hashtag on Twitter.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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