April 22nd, 2021
National funding for community health centers will be used to provide health care to the under and uninsured
Detroit, Mich. (April 20, 2021) – Detroit’s The Wellness Plan Medical Centers (TWP) has received $3.5 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act spearheaded by the Biden Administration as part of an effort to meet the rise in health care needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding has been earmarked to support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations and to enable Federally Qualified Health Care Centers (FQHCs) like TWP to deliver preventive and primary health care services to under- and uninsured people across America.
“We are thankful to the Biden Administration for listening to voices from FQHCs like ours as well as the leadership from the National Association of Community Health Centers that helped to bring attention to the needs of the underinsured in Michigan and across America,” said TWP CEO Anthony King.
The funding, approved by Congress and signed by Biden on March 18, authorized more than $6.1 billion to support 1,377 health centers nationwide – including about 40 in Michigan.
“This is a historic investment. Not only is it aimed at ensuring equitable access to our patients in the fight against COVID, but it also marks a significant step forward to ensure greater equity in the nation’s health system overall,” Tom Van Coverden, president and CEO of National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) said recently in a press release.
Nationally, more than 60 percent of health center patients are members of racial or ethnic minorities, and more than 91 percent of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below poverty levels. TWP provides primary care, pediatrics, family medicine, dental services and pharmacy services to more than 80,000 patient visits annually at medical centers in Detroit, Oak Park, and Pontiac.
TWP gained access to the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act earlier this month and is in the process of evaluating needs at its five centers across metro Detroit to determine the best and most effective use of the funding.
“We are considering a number of capital improvement projects that would improve and expand the quality of health services we are able to provide across our five centers,” King said. “We also have already expanded our vaccination program from two centers to all of our locations.”
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About The Wellness Plan Medical Centers
The Wellness Plan Medical Centers (TWP) was founded in 1973 as an HMO, and has transitioned into a vital alliance of medical centers in the Greater Detroit Area. TWP is a nonprofit with the achieved status of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Throughout its six locations in the Metro Detroit area, TWP offers one-stop-shop health, dental and related services throughout the year providing a wide array of services, including pediatrics, adult/senior medicine, preventative care, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral health and specialty services. TWP is supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and is a Health Center Program grantee.
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