Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Commitment and Success of The Effort Community Health Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, July 16, 2009

CONTACT: Mara Lee

(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Commitment and Success of The Effort Community Health Center
Pledges Continued Support for Local Health Care Provider

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-Sacramento) issued the following statement today in support of The Effort Community Health Center's Re-Opening of its Oak Park site:

"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. By helping to keep 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 crisis, we are making long-term investments in the health of our residents and our community.

"Last year we were able to designate The Effort as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Thanks to that designation, the Effort has received over $1.65 million in stimulus funds to help support the work of the Effort, as well as fund today's re-opening of the Oak Park site. This funding also goes toward the creation of a dental clinic for those seen at Oak Park location.

"We have acted quickly 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. 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. 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.

"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. Its exceptionally high score from the fiscal 2008 grant cycle, combined with its sterling record of providing much-needed and high-quality health care services to people across the Sacramento region, make The Effort a shining example of what can be accomplished when state and federal partners work together for the good of the Sacramento community. Having a FQHC in Sacramento will help my constituents live longer, healthier, more productive lives, and I look forward to working with The Effort further in the future to improve the health of people across the Sacramento region."

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