Access Health Louisiana (AHL) is marking National Health Center Week 2015 (NHCW) with a special Voter Registration Drive as well as a Coloring Contest for Children in all its Community Health Centers in seven parishes in south Louisiana.
This is part of a weeklong campaign (Aug. 9-15) to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers – the largest and most successful system of primary healthcare.One of the bright spots in America’s health care system, health centers started 50 years ago as a pilot project during President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.
Today, they have compiled a significant record of success that includes:
• Reducing income and ethnic health disparities nationwide, even in the poorest and most challenged communities
• Reducing infant mortality rates
• Producing $24 billion in annual health system savings
• Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the ER
• Maintaining patient satisfaction levels of nearly 100 percentHealth centers serve more than 23 million people nationwide – that’s one in 15 Americans, including 7 million children and 260,000 veterans. Health centers are also increasingly becoming the trusted provider of choice for many families, whether they are insured or not.Evidence shows patients choose health centers because they are convenient, affordable, and offer a range of services from a team of caring professionals. Studies also show the quality of care at a health center is as good or even better than private practices.
“Every day in our waiting rooms our staff witness the value of having a patient-centered health care home,” said Mark F. Keiser, AHL’s chief executive officer. “When people have a place they can afford to go for regular care, they use it and stay healthier. We provide a range of services onsite – primary care services, pediatrics, dentistry, and even mental health services. Our patients not only get the care they need under one roof, but they are treated as individuals, with dignity and respect. This is what health care should be, and what we celebrate during National Health Center Week.
”Although local solutions, health centers need sustained federal and local investment to meet the growing demand for their services and help more Americans gain access to affordable healthcare.
AHL is the local not for profit that governs and operates the St Charles Community Health Centers, the St. Tammany Community Health Centers, St. Bernard Community Health Center, Belle Chasse Community Health Center, the Ruth U. Fertel/Tulane Community Health Center, South Broad Community Health Center and Washington Community Health Center.
It will soon be opening the Tangipahoa Community Health Center in Hammond and also operates eight School Based Wellness Centers in three Parishes. To learn more about health centers and the #Access is the Answer campaign please visit the following links:
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) at www.nachc.org.www.healthcenterweek.org.
You can also follow the #CHC50 hashtag on Twitter.
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