Congresswoman Barbara Lee Announces American Rescue Plan Funding to Modernize Local Health Centers & Support Underserved Communities
Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today announced more than $5.5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding will go to modernize health centers and support underserved communities in the East Bay.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding nearly $1 billion in ARP funds to almost 1,300 health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to support major health care construction and renovation projects.
“I want to express my immense gratitude to these service providers for their public health stewardship, and for the work and sacrifices of their staff, to ensure that our communities have the information and care they need to get through this pandemic,” Congresswoman Lee said. “Thank you for taking care of our communities, and for all your efforts to promote equity in public health both during the pandemic and beyond.”
The funds will be awarded to health centers that serve medically underserved and other vulnerable populations and communities, which are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and other health conditions. More than 91 percent of patients served by these health centers are living at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and nearly 63 percent are racial/ethnic minorities.
The awards are intended to strengthen our primary health care infrastructure and advance health equity and health outcomes in medically underserved communities, including through projects that support COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination. Health centers will use this funding for COVID-19-related capital needs, constructing new facilities, renovating and expanding existing facilities to enhance response to pandemics, and purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment, including telehealth technology, mobile medical vans, and freezers to store vaccines.
Modernization Funding for California’s 13th Congressional District
- La Clínica de la Raza - $1,506,852
- Lifelong Medical Care - $1,204,462
- Asian Health Services – $814,050
https://asianhealthservices.org/
- West Oakland Health Council – $597,000
https://westoaklandhealth.org/
- UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland – $532,248
https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/
- Davis Street Community Center – $531,966
- County of Alameda – $501,714
The American Rescue Plan – the stimulus package passed by Congress in February and signed by President Biden in March – provided almost $2 trillion to help families, businesses, schools, and other institutions survive and recover from the COVID-19 economic crisis.
Congresswoman Lee and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) successfully fought to include billions of dollars in the ARP and other COVID relief packages to increase equity in testing, tracing, and vaccinations, including funding for trusted messengers to reach communities that are historically and medically underserved.