Vermont Business Magazine Vermont's Congressional delegation announced Thursday that the state's 11 federally qualified health centers received a total of $8.7 million for COVID-19 relief. This federal funding was provided to community health centers as a result of the CARES Act, the federal stimulus enacted last month to provide economic support to individuals, organizations, and businesses harmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Federally qualified health centers provide critical primary, mental, and oral health care, as well as substance use disorder treatment and affordable prescription drugs to more than one in four Vermonters each year. Yet these crucial health care providers have been devastated by COVID-19, as services have been suspended or moved to virtual settings to keep patients and providers safe. These health centers have seen a significant revenue reduction. Without these funds, many of these health care facilities would have been forced to close their doors at a time when their communities need them most.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which wrote the spending provisions for the recently enacted CARES Act that provides these funds, said, "Vermont's community health centers are at the front lines of our fight against the coronavirus. Their rural sites have stepped forward in places like Grand Isle, Ludlow and Island Pond to ensure that testing is available in every corner of our state. Their medical staffs provide primary care to a quarter of Vermonters and they are continuing to do that through telemedicine. They are providing continuing care to the Vermonters with chronic underlying health conditions, who are some of the most vulnerable in this crisis. Community health centers are the cornerstone of Vermont's healthcare system, and that is why I fought to secure strong funding for them to continue their mission through these trying times."
Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Budget Committee and HELP subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, who helped lead the fight for robust funding for health centers in the CARES Act, said, "Community health centers provide vital medical services not only to Vermonters, but tens of millions of vulnerable people across America, regardless of their ability to pay. This federal funding was absolutely critical to stabilize our state's health centers which are a lifeline for their communities in these difficult times. But these funds are not nearly enough. Community health centers and our health workers must have all the resources they need, not just for this pandemic, but to care for our people long after this pandemic is over. That is why we are fighting for billions more in both emergency funding and long-term funding for community health centers throughout the country. I am proud of the amazing job our health centers have done throughout Vermont and I promise to keep fighting for them in Washington as we negotiate the next federal spending package to tackle the coronavirus pandemic."
Congressman Peter Welch said, "Our rural communities have long relied on community health centers to provide care and treatment to everyone. Now, more than ever, Vermonters are relying on them to provide that same level of care during this unprecedented pandemic. I was proud to fight for this funding in the House, which will help our community health centers keep Vermonters safe during this public health crisis."
Source: BURLINGTON, April 9,2020 — Vermont's Congressional delegation.