Supporters of America’s community health centers presented the case for a funding boost of up to $30 billion by 2030 during a March 2 budget hearing.
“Immediate and long-term funding is more vital than ever before,” CEO of Advocates for Community Health, Amanda Pears Kelly, told the assembly.
Kelly illustrated that community health centers (CHCs) currently help 30 million people, with the ultimate goal of growing to meet 40 million primary care patient needs by 2030.
Communities in rural America are driving much of this need, where primary care is either limited, too expensive, or physically out of reach for underserved populations.
Communities Without Primary Care
Between 2010 and 2021, 136 rural hospitals closed, leaving CHCs to pick up the slack for primary care….}