NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Cory Booker today announced a combined $30,746,886 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support New Jersey’s 24 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 federal stimulus package, signed into law last month, allocated over $1.3 billion to support community health centers across the country. FQHCs are trusted providers for many in lower-income communities who need access to health care services.

“Community health centers are often the first place families across New Jersey go to when they need affordable and high quality health care,” said Sen. Menendez, a member of the bipartisan team that negotiated the stimulus package and author of the provision in the Affordable Care Act that led to the largest national expansion of FQHCs. “As these centers face shortages in personal protection equipment, medical supplies and personnel, they need our support now more than ever. I applaud the work of our state’s FQHCs during these trying times and am committed to fighting for the additional resources our health centers need to combat the outbreak."

“Communities across New Jersey and our nation continue to battle a public health crisis, so it’s more important than ever that we protect those who need it most,”said Sen. Booker. “This federal funding will help ensure our community health centers can provide critical health care services to some of our most underserved communities as part of our larger effort to contain the spread of this virus and protect the health and safety of all New Jerseyans.”

Last week, the senators announced the first wave of funding from the COVID-19 emergency stimulus package, which will deliver billions to help New Jersey fight the coronavirus. Over $82 million was released to support communities on the frontlines of the outbreak and another $1.76 billion was allocated to support NJ Transit’s operations. On Friday, the Small Business Administration (SBA) began accepting applications for $350 billion in forgivable loans and grants.

Last month, the senators announced $1.8 million to help FQHCs battle the outbreak, which the lawmakers secured in the $8.3 billion coronavirus emergency funding package. Sen. Menendez also visited North Hudson Community Action Corp., an FQHC in Passaic where he met with health care workers to discuss their efforts in combatting COVID-19.

The following FQHCs were awarded funding:

Atlanticare Health Services, Inc.
Atlantic County

$694,115

CAMCare Health Corp.
Camden, Gloucester counties

$1,309,625

City of Newark
Essex County

$876,935

Community Health Care, Inc.
Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester counties

$1,831,475

Henry J. Austin Health Center, Inc.
Mercer County

$797,240

Horizon Health Center, Inc.
Hudson County

$831,650

Jewish Renaissance Foundation, Inc.
Middlesex County

$521,870

Jewish Renaissance Medical Center
Essex, Middlesex counties

$985,655

Lakewood Resource and Referral Center, Inc.
Ocean County

$1,288,685

Metropolitan Family Health Network, Inc.

Hudson County

$792,425

Monmouth Family Health Center
Monmouth County

$857,900

Neighborhood Health Services Corp.
Union County

$838,670

New Jersey Department of Health

$5,614,731

Newark Community Health Center, Inc.
Essex County

$1,608,965

North Hudson Community Action Corp.

Bergen, Hudson, Passaic counties

$2,547,890

Ocean Health Initiatives, Inc.
Monmouth, Ocean counties

$1,178,900

Osborn Family Health Center
Camden County

$638,360

Paterson Community Health Center, Inc.
Passaic County

$895,625

Project H.O.P.E.

Camden County

$588,995

Rutgers University (New Brunswick)
Middlesex County

$934,235

Rutgers University (Newark)
Essex County

$525,095

Southern Jersey Family Medical Center, Inc.

Atlantic, Burlington, Salem counties

$1,634,375

St. James Health, Inc.
Essex County

$546,695

Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Community Health Center
Monmouth County

$738,200

Zufall Health Center, Inc.

Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Warren counties

$1,668,575

In New Jersey, there are 24 Community Health Centers that operate 137 satellite sites, providing preventive and primary health care services to over a half-million New Jersey residents.

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