For decades, federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) have
been a driving force in bringing comprehensive health care to millions
of patients in our country’s most underserved and under-resourced
communities. We at Columbia Basin Health Association are proud of the
legacy we’ve built as a hyper-local health equity hub, but we know
there is much more to be done. In order to deliver on our vision of a
health care system with equity at its core, FQHCs need our leaders in
Congress to make historic investments in our infrastructure, workforce,
and innovation efforts. Through our
CHC Invest campaign, we are asking Congress to appropriate up to $13B in funding
for FY23 and scale investments over the next seven years to reach a total
of $30B by 2030.
FQHCs are the largest primary care provider network in the country, and
in Washington, CBHA is ensuring over 37,000 patients have access to critical
health care each year. Nationwide, health centers are bringing comprehensive
care to nearly 29 million patients annually. More than 90% of these patients
are living below 200% of the federal poverty line and nearly 70% are uninsured
or receiving Medicaid.
Throughout the pandemic, FQHCs have administered more than 21 million vaccines
and 19 million COVID tests—with CBHA providing over 27,000 vaccines
to patients locally. A majority of our COVID services have been delivered
to communities of color and uninsured or underinsured populations.
Our workforce—comprised of members of the very communities we serve—has
stepped up to keep families healthy and address the complex and ever-growing
needs of patients. That same workforce is suffering from burnout and the
mental health impacts of being on the frontline throughout more than two
years of unprecedented challenges to our health care system.
Columbia Basin Health Association is one of Washington State's premier
federally qualified health centers and a trusted health partner. Serving
patients throughout Adams County, and parts of Grant and Franklin Counties,
our clinics continue to set a high-standard for comprehensive, inclusive
medical care that puts patient well-being at the forefront of everything
we do. From family health and routine check-ups to state-of-the-art treatments
and therapies, Columbia Basin Health Association is there to ensure that
our patients, our neighbors, and our communities have access to world-class
healthcare, regardless of their circumstances.
We have a proven track record and have been dependable, consistent stewards
of taxpayer dollars for generations. We not only deliver quality health
care services to our community, but we also provide jobs for more than
400 employees. Nationally, health centers employ 250,000 people annually,
spur local economies, and save the health care system $24 billion each
year. Now, we need our leaders in Congress to stand up for us and provide
the resources FQHCs desperately need, not just today, but for years to
come. We hope that Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murry and Rep. Dan
Newhouse will show their support for the health center program and take
bold, visionary action now so we can continue our lifesaving work in Washington
and across the country.