After finishing up debate tomorrow on the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962), the U.S. House is scheduled to take a final vote on this historic health care reform legislation on Saturday, November 7. 

Introduced last week by Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team, the bill includes $12 billion in new guaranteed funding for Community Health Centers over five years through the Public Health Investment Fund. This would allow Health Centers to expand to serve up to 20 million new patients by 2015, and generate $212 billion in additional health system savings and in excess of $59 billion in Federal Medicaid savings.

HR 3962 also includes language to make affordable health insurance coverage available to as many as 36 million Americans who are currently uninsured or severely underinsured. Most notably, the bill extends Medicaid coverage to 15 million individuals and families with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level and provides financial assistance for millions more Americans in need.

This is a critical juncture in the health reform debate and your Representative needs to hear from you. Please take a minute to contact your U.S. Representative to ask him/her to vote yes on HR 3962 – call the toll free NACHC advocacy hotline at 1.866.456.3949 to easily connect with your Representative.

Click here for more information on HR 3962.

If your answer to that question is no, then you need to attend the Community Health Center Corporate Compliance Training hosted by Michigan Primary Care Association in Lansing on December 1-2.

Along with the millions of dollars of investment in Health Centers through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act this year to expand services and respond to increased demand for primary and preventive health care comes great responsibility.  Health Centers must take adequate steps to maintain compliance with ARRA’s requirements.  Failing to do so will put Health Centers at great risk.

This training specifically designed for Community Health Centers by Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP and RSM McGladrey Inc., with financial support from the National Association of Community Health Centers, will provide information about:

• The new climate of accountability, transparency, and enforcement
• Elements of effective compliance programs
• Legal and financial requirements for key Health Center risk areas
• Implementing a compliance program

 Included in the two-day training is an optional compliance officer training session.

The registration deadline for this training is November 16 – click here for the agenda and registration form.

Yolanda Townsend came to see the dentist at Covenant Community Care’s dental clinic for the first time on Saturday, October 24. Three days later she walked out of the University Detroit Mercy Dental School with a free root canal provided by a volunteer endodontist.  Her story is just one of 2,100 patients who have sought out dental care at Covenant Community Care since the young community health center in Southwest Detroit opened its dental clinic last fall thanks to the generous support of the McGregor Fund, the Carls Foundation, the City Light Foundation, Covenant Ministries of Benevolence and the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan.

Yolanda and others like her found in Covenant Community Care’s staff of dentists, assistants and administrators a group of people who served her with diligence and care as they carved out a niche as one of Detroit’s most affordable and accessible places to receive dental care. Under the direction of Dr. Tom Storen, a retired dentist and former U.S. Marine, the dentists, Dr. Lynn Eickholt and Dr. Kay Price, lead the effort to meet every need, whether an emergency, a filling, a denture, crown or cleaning. Dr. Eickholt, a graduate of the University Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry and a National Health Service Corps Scholar, and Dr. Price, a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, have turned this three chair clinic into a beehive of activity 6 days a week 52 weeks per year. Keeping them busy is Clinic Manager, Maria Aloyo, who puts her bi-lingual Spanish/English skills to great use serving a mix of patients —black, white and Latino, many of whom speak only Spanish.

As you come into Covenant Community Care’s clinic at 559 West Grand Boulevard, you are greeted by a beautiful bronze cross donated by one of the founding churches, Faith Covenant Church in Farmington, Michigan. The cross helps to focus the staff on their mission to show and share God’s love through providing integrated, affordable and quality health care to those who need it most.

In this case, integrated health care is experienced as you pass through the first floor medical clinic, with doctors and nurses curing illnesses and treating diseases under Medical Director Dr. Lydia Best, on your way to the second floor dental clinic, which shares space with a small counseling office where Psychologist Dr. Tim Hogan leads a team in caring for the mental health needs of patients. It is in this rich integrated care setting that Covenant’s dental clinic took root in the fall of 2008 after years of fundraising and renovations. Even after all the dental chairs were in place, it took the special talents of Doctors Storen, Eickholt and Price to breathe life into the empty rooms.

The clinic’s first few weeks were slow. But as Ms. Aloyo began to trumpet the talents of the dentists, patients came to see how far their money could stretch under Covenant’s generous sliding fee scale. Word of mouth spread throughout the spring and by the time Covenant cooperated with the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School on a “Free Braces” screening day last June which provided dental exams and cleanings to nearly 500 and provided free braces to 60 low-income children and adolescents, the clinic’s reputation had blossomed and the steady stream of patients making their way upstairs became a daily event. Dr. Bill Krieg and his team of volunteer orthodontists have added to the clinic tremendously by making affordable braces available to all low-income Covenant patients in need of braces.

Yolanda Thompson came to the clinic through another exciting program – “Save A Tooth Day”. Covenant hosted this day on October 24 in an effort to identify 50 people in need of free root canals which were generously provided by volunteer endodontists from the Michigan Association of Endodontists.

Together with 49 others, Ms. Thompson discovered firsthand how great a treasure the clinic that Dr. Storen built up through the gifts and talents of Dr. Eickholt, Dr. Price and Ms. Aloyo has become for the people of Southwest Detroit. And all this in one short year.

But as the State of Michigan has cut dental benefits for adults out of the Medicaid program, the need for affordable dental care is growing. In the coming year, Covenant’s dental clinic will expand its effort by adding preventative dental programs in local schools and by creating a new seven-chair dental clinic on Michigan Avenue nearby the existing three-chair West Grand Boulevard clinic.

If the past year is any indication, many more people will receive excellent dental care from Covenant dentists in the years to come.  For those who came to the empty second floor clinic just one short year ago, the growth and healing happening today and into the future is nothing short of a miracle.

Facebook is another great way to get in touch with your legislators and make your voice heard on important issues!

There are now 66 Michigan Representative and Senators on Facebook… do you see your legislator listed below?

If you do, add them as a friend or follow their public profile to stay up-to-date and let them know how you feel about upcoming legislation.

For the 12th year, the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, in partnership with the Michigan Primary Care Association and other partners, is hosting the  Champion of Hope Tribute Dinner on April 28, 2010.  State legislators and organizations who strive to improve the health of Michigan residents with diabetes, kidney or cardiovascular disease will be honored with the Innovations in Health Care award at the event.

Award nominations are now being accepted through February 19, 2010.  Click here to access background information and the nomination application.

When a dental patient at the Northern Menominee Health Center, part of the Upper Peninsula Association of Rural Health Services in Michigan’s Upper Penninsula was asked “Would you like to share your story?” she had two words to say- OH YES!

I am 5o years old and never thought I’d be able to ever afford to go to the dentist.

I was so ill and felt everyday like I would die, never knowing it was my teeth.

Then I heard of the Northern Menominee Health Center and on my goodness Dr. Johnson is the most excellent dentist! So gentle, with humor that relaxes every nerve completely so that when she drills, pokes or whatever else you don’t even know it’s being done.

I also had Dr. Whamack for two days and she was excellent too!

And, all of the Dental Assistants worked so well with Dr. Johnson and Dr. Whamack.

They treated me like I had the best health insurance when I had nothing. It brings tears to my eyes the kindness and gentle care, I’ve never been treated so well.

I got my health back and can smile again and that is the first thing Dr. Johnson promised, health, and that is what they bring.

God Bless Dr. Johnson, Dr. Whamack and everyone at the Northern Menominee Health Center.

That is my story… healthy again!

To reach an audience of 50 million people it took…

• Radio 38 years.
• Television 13 years.
• Internet 4 years.
• iPod 3 years.
• Facebook 2 years.

The world is changing, are you part of the technological revolution?

As leadership in the U.S. House continues to weave together provisions from the committees’ passed health care reform legislation into a bill for final consideration, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) reports that a provision for Health Center growth, the Public Health Investment Fund, is likely to be included.

“Last week, a targeted group of Health Center advocates from across the country came to Washington for quick “fly-in” meetings with key members of the House of Representatives with a clear message – as you bring the different House bills together, maintain the investment in Health Center growth,” reported John Sawyer in a NACHC “Health Centers on the Hill” blog post.

The response?  “Whether it was Blue Dog negotiator Mike Ross (D-AR), House Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson (D-CT), Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-NY), or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) herself, the message to our advocates was clear: “It’s in.”

Click here to read more from Sawyer to learn more about the “it” that will move forward Health Center growth in the reformed health system.

Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-NV) discussed yesterday the status of the Senate’s health insurance reform bill that he has been working on with Senator Dodd of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Baucus of the Senate Finance Committee, and the White House. Reid announced that he is sending a merged bill to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that includes a public option giving states the choice to opt-out. When the CBO has finished scoring the combined Senate bill, Senator Reid will bring the bill to the Senate floor for an open debate and amendment process.

Scientists estimate that people are not washing their hands often or well enough and may transmit up to 80% of all infections by their hands. From doorknobs to animals to food, harmful germs can live on almost everything. Handwashing may be your single most important act to help stop the spread of infection and stay healthy!