Hispanic Heritage Month and Community Health Centers

One great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is to visit a community health center like First Choice Community Health Care in Albuquerque. Community health centers are the backbone of our health care system, especially for Latinos, who make up 62 percent of health center patients in New Mexico.

Because of the health care law and other Administration initiatives, community health centers are stronger than ever.

Under the health care law, we�re investing $11 billion over five years to bolster and expand more than 1,200 community health centers across the nation, helping centers renovate, increase services, build new facilities and add new technology. Health centers are already serving three million more patients today than they were in 2009, including nearly one million more Latino patients, and that number will continue to grow. We�ve also added thousands of primary care providers to the ranks of the National Health Service Corps.

These investments won�t just improve health in a community; they�re also a boost to the local economy, creating good jobs in construction and health care. New Mexico health centers employed more than 2,100 staff last year, and, nationally, centers have added 25,000 jobs since 2009.

At First Choice Community Health Care, investments from both the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act have added 35 new full-time equivalent permanent medical and support staff. The health care law also supported the creation of a new healthcare delivery site in Los Lunas;�including fifteen medical exam rooms and ten dental operatories. The combined investments from�the health care law and the recovery act at First Choice Community Healthcare alone have meant capacity has expanded to give nearly 10,000 new patients the ability to receive quality health care services in their local community.

Investments in health centers like First Choice Community Health Care are just the beginning. Because of the health care law, all Americans will have the opportunity to lead healthier lives and be able to get the quality health care they need and deserve.

Celebrating Healthier Patients and Stronger Communities

Today we are celebrating the work of the National Health Service Corps in communities across the country.� This year�s theme is �Healthier Patients, Stronger Communities,� and that theme is reflected in the work that our NHSC providers do every day.

The National Health Service Corps helps improve access to health care in communities that need it most. �It provides financial support for doctors, nurses and other health care providers as well as students training for a career in primary care.� This financial support in the form of loan repayment and scholarships allows clinicians who are passionate about serving in our communities the ability to pursue jobs in primary care disciplines without the burden of overwhelming debt.�

Now, thanks to investments made by the Obama Administration there are close to 10,000 National Health Service Corps �doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, mental and behavioral health specialists, and other health providers treating more than 10.4 million people throughout the country.� In fact, the number of providers serving in the NHSC has nearly tripled from 3,600 since the start of the Obama Administration. �And, while Corps members commit to working for at least two years in high need areas, more than 82 percent decide to stay beyond their initial commitment, helping ensure more Americans get the care they need.

I am also excited to announce that this year, the health care law has invested almost $230 million in the NHSC through 4,600 loan repayment and scholarship awards to clinicians and students who are committed to working where they are needed most.

Today, we celebrate Corps Community Day to honor the important work of National Health Service Corps members who are bringing their talents to communities that need health care providers.� To those of you who are serving in the Corps or will serve, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the work you do each and every day to ensure that Americans get the primary care they need and deserve to lead healthy lives.

For stories from National Health Service Corps clinicians, please visit: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/corpsexperience/memberstories/index.html� or http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/corpsexperience/40clinicians/index.html