New Orleans area gets $1.8M funding for health centers

New Orleans, LA—The Depart­ment of Health and Human Ser­vices announced last week that two New Orleans community heal­th centers will receive $1.8 million to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services to communities that are currently under-serviced.

Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. and Marillac Community Health Centers in New Orleans are among the 164 health centers nationwide that will receive funding.

“These new clinics, provided through funding from the Affordable Care Act will allow easier access to health care in the neighborhoods that have been traditionally underserved,” said Rep. Cedric Richmond.

The funding comes from $101 million in Affordable Care Act funds dedicated to assisting 164 new health center sites in 33 states and two U.S. Territories to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services.

According to DHHS, the new centers are projected to increase access to healthcare services for nearly 650,000 patients nationwide.

“The Affordable Care Act has led to unprecedented increases in access to health insurance. Part of building on that progress is connecting people to the care they need,” said Secretary Burwell. “Health centers are keystones of the communities they serve. Today’s awards will enable more individuals and families to have access to the affordable, quality health care that health centers provide. That includes the preventive and primary care services that will keep them healthy.”

The DHHS reports that more than 550 new health center sites have opened in the last four years as a result of the Affordable Care Act, and that nearly 1,300 health centers operate more than 9,000 service delivery sites, providing care to nearly 22 million patients — nearly five million more patients than at the beginning of 2009.

Statewide, a total of six health centers in Louisiana will receive ACA funding totaling $3,500,975 to serve nearly 20,000 patients. Those centers are Marillac Community Health Centers ($704,167) and Odyssey House Louisiana ($691,667) in New Orleans; Primary Care Providers for a Healthy Feliciana ($441,667) in Clinton; Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center, Inc. ($545,000) in Opelousas; Access Health Louisiana ($551,807) in Luling; and Winn Community Health Center, Inc. ($566,667) in Winnfield.

“Community health centers are on the frontlines of providing dependable, accessible primary care. With unprecedented numbers of Americans with health insurance these facilities are more vital than ever before,” Rep. Richmond said.

This article originally published in the May 18, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.