HR0112 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0112 LRB102 14236 MST 19588 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, For over 50 years, community health centers have provided high-quality, affordable, comprehensive primary and preventive health care in our nation's underserved communities, delivering value to and having a significant impact on America's health care system; and

WHEREAS, As the country's largest primary care network, community health centers are the health care home for 30 million Americans in over 14,000 communities across the nation; one in every 12 people in the United States gets their care in a community health center; and

WHEREAS, Over 40 organizations in Illinois operate community health centers at over 400 sites in communities across the State, providing services for nearly 5,000,000 patient visits annually; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers are a critical element of the health system, serving both rural and urban communities and often providing the only accessible and dependable source of primary care in their communities; nationwide, community health centers serve one in every five residents of rural areas; and

WHEREAS, In Illinois, over one quarter of organizations operating as community health centers serve rural patients; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers serve as beacons of essential resources and support in testing and treatment in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic and will continue to offer reliable, affordable, high-quality care against COVID-19 for America's most vulnerable and underserved communities; and

WHEREAS, Every day, community health centers develop new approaches to integrating a wide range of services beyond primary care, including oral health, vision, behavioral health, and pharmacy services, to meet the needs and challenges of their communities; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers are governed by patient-majority boards, ensuring that the patients of each health center are engaged in their own health care decisions; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers are locally owned and operated small businesses that serve as critical economic engines, helping to power local economies by generating $54.6 billion in economic activity in some of the country's most economically-deprived communities; and

WHEREAS, Every dollar in investment in community health centers in Illinois generates $5.21 in economic activity, and community health centers in Illinois generate over $2.4 billion in total economic activity; and

WHEREAS, Nationally, community health centers employ more than 236,000 people, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives who work as part of multi-disciplinary clinical teams designed to treat the whole patient; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers in Illinois employ nearly 10,000 health care professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, dentists, dental hygienists, behavioral health specialists, pharmacists, and eye care specialists; and

WHEREAS, The community health center model continues to prove an effective means of overcoming barriers to healthcare access, including geography, income, and insurance status, improving health care outcomes and reducing health care system costs; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers reduce overall costs of care by helping manage patients' chronic conditions, which keeps them out of costlier health care settings like hospital emergency rooms; and

WHEREAS, Community health centers are on the front lines of emerging health care crises, providing access to care for our nation's veterans, addressing the opioid epidemic, and responding to public health threats in the wake of natural disasters; and

WHEREAS, Community Health Center Week offers the opportunity to celebrate America's over 1,400 health center organizations with over 12,000 service delivery sites, Illinois's over 40 health center organizations with over 400 service delivery sites, their dedicated staff, board members, patients, and all those responsible for their continued success and growth since the first health centers opened their doors more than 50 years ago; and

WHEREAS, During Community Health Center Week, we celebrate the legacy of America's community health centers and their vital role in shaping the past, present, and future of America's health care system; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare August 9-15, 2021 as Community Health Center Week in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all Americans to take part in this week by visiting their local health center and celebrating the important partnership between America's community health centers and the communities they serve; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we will work to ensure that every underserved and under-resourced community shall have sustainable access to a community health center and a community hospital to address their health needs in an effort to improve health outcomes; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Illinois Primary Health Care Association and the National Association of Community Health Centers.