WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $2,076,473 in Quality Improvement Grants to community health centers throughout New Jersey. The grants, which are funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, are intended to boost care quality and effectiveness throughout community health centers.

“Community Health Centers are a critical piece of the puzzle in ensuring everyone has access to affordable health care in this country. By offering an alternative to expensive emergency rooms that saddle families with huge medical bills, CHCs provide quality health care in our communities. While the GOP makes continuous attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would leave millions of Americans uninsured, I’ve been fighting hard to expand access to quality, affordable health care for hard-working Americans,” said Sen. Menendez. “This funding will help ensure that residents of New Jersey continue to benefit from robust and comprehensive health care, regardless of their socioeconomic status.”

“As the former Mayor of Newark, I know far too well the incredible barriers our community faces to adequate healthcare,” said Sen. Booker. “This federal investment will help address these health inequities by bringing quality, affordable healthcare services into New Jersey while strengthening our communities. With access to healthcare under continued attack, it’s more important than ever that we stand committed to protecting our most underserved communities through federal investments like this.”

“NJPCA congratulates the 23 Federally Qualified Health Centers that received Quality funding awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is an honor to be recognized as national leaders in advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) and achieving Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition. FQHCs also known as Community Health Centers provide high quality, cost efficient care to New Jerseyans every day in every county and we are pleased the FQHC standard of excellence, commitment and effort has been acknowledged with these awards,” said Jillian Hudspeth, President and CEO of the New Jersey Primary Care Association.

The recipients of the grants are as follows:

  • Atlanticare Health Services ($111,155)
  • Camcare Health Corporation ($107,918) Camden, Camden County
  • City of Newark ($23,574)
  • Community Health Care Inc. ($174,666) Cumberland County
  • Henry J Austin Health Center Inc. ($75,952) Trenton, Mercer County
  • Horizon Health Center ($161,138) Jersey City, Hudson County
  • The Jewish Renaissance Foundation Inc. ($131,738) Perth Amboy, Middlesex County
  • Jewish Renaissance Medical Center ($111,044) Perth Amboy, Middlesex County
  • Lakewood Resource and Referral Center Inc. ($80,041)
  • Metropolitan Family Health Network Inc. ($67,170) Jersey City, Hudson County
  • Monmouth Family Health Center ($34,000)
  • Neighborhood Health Services Corporation Inc. ($88,462) Plainfield, Union County
  • Newark Community Health Centers Inc. ($114,833)
  • North Hudson Community Action Corporation ($177,219)
  • Ocean Health Initiatives Inc. ($86,485)
  • Paterson Community Health Center Inc. ($21,425)
  • Project H.O.P.E. Inc. ($55,671) – Camden, Camden County
  • Rutgers University ($109,241)
  • Saint James Health Inc. ($27,508) – Newark, Essex County
  • Southern Jersey Family ($60,000)
    • Atlantic City, Atlantic County
    • Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County
    • Hammonton, Atlantic County
    • Pleasantville, Atlantic County
    • Burlington City, Burlington County
    • Pemberton, Burlington County
    • Salem, Salem County
    • Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Community Health Center Inc. ($62,090)
      • Asbury Park, Monmouth County
      • Keyport, Monmouth County
      • Red Bank, Monmouth County
      • Freehold, Monmouth County
      • Zufall Health Center Inc. ($195,103)
        • Dover, Morris County
        • Flemington, Hunterdon County
        • Hackettstown, Warren County
        • Morristown Morris County
        • Newton, Sussex County
        • Somerville, Somerset County
        • West Orange, Essex County

In June, Sen. Menendez announced $45 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fund federally qualified health centers in New Jersey.

When Congressional Republicans put federal funding for community health centers in danger last September, Sen. Menendez held a roundtable discussion with leaders of some of New Jersey’s top health centers in order to discuss and address their concerns pertaining to the precarious state of health center funding. This roundtable led to the Senator co-leading a letter signed by 70 of his colleagues, addressed to leadership and requesting immediate action to avoid the funding cliff.

Sen. Menendez supported an amendment to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that provided FQHCs with $11 billion in mandatory funding over five years for new and existing programs and activities to expand access to primary care services. He also authored a second provision in the ACA that requires private insurance plans on the exchange to fully reimburse FQHCs at no less than the same rate as Medicaid in order to ensure the economic vitality of community health centers and properly recognize them for the valuable role they play in the American health care system.

Sen. Menendez has twice been honored for his long time advocacy on behalf of FQHCs, having receiving the Champion for Community Health Centers Award in 2016, and the Distinguished Community Health Champion Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in 2012.

Clink here for more information about the funding.

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