Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Proclaiming August 11 through 17, 2013, as "National Health Center Week" and recognizing Access Community Health Centers.
Body
WHEREAS, America's community health centers are at the core of our health care system and the nation's safety net, delivering high quality, cost effective, and accessible primary and preventive care to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay, and,
WHEREAS, Madison is served by Access Community Health Centers with three locations in the area providing preventive and primary care, and dental care that families and individuals need, where and when they need it, and,
WHEREAS, Health centers are located in medically underserved areas and locally-controlled by patient-majority boards, making each health center responsive to the needs of the individual community it serves, and,
WHEREAS, Access Community Health Centers employs 224 care giving and support professionals including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives, along with social workers, case managers, and community health workers, as part of a multi-disciplinary clinical team designed to treat the whole patient, coordinating care and managing chronic disease, at the same time reducing unnecessary, avoidable and wasteful use of health resources, and,
WHEREAS, in 2012 Madison's Access Community Healthcare centers served 25,062 patients with medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services; and,
WHEREAS, this health home model that health centers are at the fore of pioneering goes beyond primary medical care, providing behavioral health and dental services, along with case management and enabling services that ensure that care is provided in an efficient and timely manner, and,
WHEREAS, the health center model has been proven to be an effective means of overcoming barriers to access for the medically underserved and in doing so, improving health care outcomes and reducing health care costs, and,
WHEREAS, this unique model allows health centers to save the nation's health system approximately $24 billion annually by keeping patients out of costlier health care settings, such as emergency rooms, and,
WHEREAS, as locally owned and operated small businesses, health centers also serve as critical economic engines helping to power local economies, and,
WHEREAS, today, 60 million Americans lack regular access to a primary care provider, even as the nation is preparing to provide health coverage for as many as 30 million Americans, and,
WHEREAS, health centers are expected to become the health care home for many of these new patients but the demand for health centers continues to vastly outpace growth and many existing health centers are already at capacity.
WHEREAS, health centers are committed to expanding to meet the needs of the communities they serve and to grow their reach to serve every individual who currently lacks regular access to a health care home, and,
WHEREAS, National Health Center Week offers the opportunity to recognize America's health centers, their staff, board members, and all those responsible for the continued success and growth of the program since its creation almost 50 years ago. During this National Health Center Week, we recognize the multitude of ways in which Access Community Health Centers and America's Health Centers are transforming care in local communities by delivering comprehensive, high quality, cost effective, and accessible health care,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council of Madison, Wisconsin, proclaims August 11 through 17, 2013, as National Health Center Week and recognizes Access Community Health Centers as critical partners in our community's health care system helping to eliminate barriers to care and support Madison residents in their efforts to attain their best possible health.