Congresswoman Matsui Announces $1.3 Million of Stimulus Funds for Health Clinic in Sacramento; Grant Will Help Serve Thousands of Sacramentans, Retain Local Jobs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 2, 2009
CONTACT: Alexis Marks or Mara Lee
(202) 225-7163
Congresswoman Matsui Announces $1.3 Million of Stimulus Funds for Health Clinic in Sacramento
Grant Will Help Serve Thousands of Sacramentans, Retain Local Jobs
Sacramento - Congresswoman Matsui added report language to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that allowed for The Effort to be eligible to receive funding from the Health Resources and Service Administration as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
"Congress and the Obama Administration have acted swiftly to put American Recovery Act dollars to good use in the communities, like our own, whose residents are facing increased healthcare costs and job loss" said Congresswoman Matsui. "I am pleased that language I added to the recovery package helped get this money to The Effortandmdash;and to the thousands of Sacramentans it serves every single dayandmdash;so quickly after passage of the bill. Health centers, primary care, and prevention are at the heart of President Obama's plan for an affordable, accessible health care system, and The Effort has been deserving of this FQHC designation for a long time. I will continue to work with the Obama Administration to support community health centers like The Effort that keep people healthy and put people back to work throughout the Sacramento region."
The Effort helps those in need, many of whom cannot afford health insurance, obtain access to comprehensive primary and preventive health care services in the Sacramento area. The appropriated funds will also help retain and create local jobs in Sacramento, by keeping The Effort's staff employed, and by allowing the clinic to meet increased demands for primary and mental health services that have arisen as a result of the current economic situation. The awarding of this grant to The Effort is also the culmination of more than a year's worth of work on behalf of Congresswoman Matsui, The Effort, and Sacramento's primary health care community to designate The Effort as a FQHC.
"We are elated to have approval for the FQHC grant, which will help us accommodate a growing demand for services given the state of the economy. We are incredibly indebted to Congresswoman Matsui for working tirelessly to help us help Sacramento." Robert Caulk, Ph. D., Chief Executive Officer of The Effort.
Since 1953, The Effort has provided high-quality community health, crisis intervention, child abuse prevention, mental health, and social services programs in the Sacramento region. Located in the heart of downtown Sacramento, The Effort is a central part of the social safety net that helps hardworking Sacramento families stay healthy and strong.
"The Effort is exactly the kind of community health center that the funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is intended to help." stated Rep. Matsui.
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