RI Health Center Association President & CEO Jane Hayward to Virtually Join Whitehouse for Biden’s Address to Joint Session of Congress
Funding infusion from Biden administration has turned community health centers into vaccination and testing hubs in underserved communities
JANE HAYWARD
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that Jane Hayward, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Health Center Association, will be his guest for President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress tomorrow evening. Most members of Congress, including Whitehouse, and all guests will attend this year’s event virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“From those early, uncertain days of the pandemic, Rhode Island’s community health centers have helped lead the way. Community health centers are doing an outstanding job distributing the vaccines delivered by the Biden administration because the clinics have earned the trust of the neighborhoods they serve,” said Whitehouse. “I’m glad to be joined by Jane Hayward to recognize the important role of community health centers in ending this chapter of the pandemic and expanding equity and justice in our health care system.”
The American Rescue Plan, which was proposed by President Biden and passed by Democrats in Congress, included $6 billion for community health centers nationwide. In March, eight Rhode Island community health centers received nearly $33.5 million of that funding, primarily to expand access to vaccines and conduct outreach to underserved communities. The federal funds were also used to expand testing and treatment for vulnerable populations, deliver preventive and primary health care services to people at higher risk for COVID-19, and increase health centers’ operational capacity.
“The Federally Qualified Health Centers are among the largest networks of primary care providers in Rhode Island, serving a large portion of the state’s communities who are at risk and hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hayward. “We are thankful to the efforts of our state’s delegates and the Biden Administration, who recognized the critical role health centers take in addressing health equity in marginalized communities. The federal vaccine distribution program and American Rescue Plan funds will allow health centers to continue to provide more robust programs for COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination to our vulnerable communities across Rhode Island.”
Rhode Island’s community health centers have administered over 93,000 COVID-19 tests, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Community health centers provide care for more than 27 million people nationwide. Over 90 percent of health center patients live at or below the federal poverty guideline, and nearly 63 percent of patients are racial or ethnic minorities, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.