U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Awards Six Health Center Partners Members More than $5.6 Million to Improve Facilities and Serve More Patients

Health Center Partners (HCP), a premier consortium of primary care organizations in Southern California, today announced six of its member health centers received combined funding of more than $5.6 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to build and renovate facilities in order to provide health care services to more patients. The grants to HCP’s San Diego County member centers are part of more than $260 million HHS awarded to 290 health centers across the country in order to increase capacity and provide additional primary and preventative health services to underserved communities.

“One in six San Diegans relies on community health centers for primary health care,” said Henry Tuttle, CEO of Health Center Partners. “These centers have provided crucial care to those most vulnerable in our community for decades, and we congratulate our members for bringing millions of additional dollars in federal funding to the region in order to reach even more people and meet the growing demand for primary care.”

With funding provided by the Affordable Care Act’s Community Health Center Fund, HHS’ investment enables community health centers to renovate or expand clinical facilities to help provide care to more than 800,000 new patients nationwide. Since 2009, health centers have added 6 million more patients, and serve nearly 23 million individuals each year—helping to create healthier communities across the country. The following Health Center Partners members received awards from HHS:

• Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, Inc. received $1 million
• North County Health Services received $1 million
• Community Health Systems, Inc. received $1 million
• Neighborhood Healthcare received $1 million
• San Ysidro Health Center received $1 million
• Vista Community Clinic received $686,521

In total, $5,686,521 has been awarded to Health Center Partners members, building on the consortium’s nearly 40 year history of continuously improving quality care and offering robust health services for the region’s safety-net populations.

“Our continued success as a member of Health Center Partners is a testament to the collaboration, support and advocacy of this invaluable consortium,” said Kevin Mattson, president and CEO of San Ysidro Health Center. “We are honored to receive this generous grant from HHS and look forward to expanding our services and—along with our fellow HCP members—extending primary care services to even more patients in need.”