Menendez, Booker, Sires Announce $36M in Funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers in NJ

WEST NEW YORK, NJ - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-08), today announced the awarding of $35,895,668 in federal funding for 16 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across New Jersey, including nearly $4.8M to the North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC), to provide local residents access to high-quality, affordable health care. The grants, awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), are funded through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

"These important investments help keep our families and communities strong and healthy," said Sen. Menendez, a leader in the effort to expand FQHCs throughout New Jersey and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees federal health policy. "Community health centers provide care to those who might otherwise not have access and are the backbone of our health care system. That's why I've worked so hard to expand our network of quality, local health facilities to ensure our families and communities continue to thrive."

"Far too many communities in New Jersey and across our nation are faced with incredible obstacles in accessing adequate health care," said Sen. Booker. "By supporting New Jersey's federally qualified health centers, these funds will help address these health inequities by bringing high-quality, affordable health care services into some of our most underserved communities."

"Providing quality health care to those in need is essential in keeping individuals and families active members of our community," said Rep Sires. "That is why I want to applaud the staff at North Hudson Community Action Corporation as they continue to provide proper health care for the residents of my district. I will work with my colleagues in Washington to ensure that funding for these programs will continue to ensure New Jerseyans have access to quality health care."

Sen. Menendez joined HHS Region 2 Director Jackie Cornell-Bechelli and local officials in the U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez Pavilion at NHCAC's West New York health center to announce the funding. NHCAC operates health centers in West New York, Union City, North Bergen, Jersey City and Harrison in Hudson County; Garfield, Hackensack and Englewood in Bergen County; and the City of Passaic in Passaic County.

"HRSA funding has allowed NHCAC to provide health care to almost 50,000 low-income patients so far this year," said Joan Quigley, NHCAC's president and CEO. "We are very grateful to Senator Menendez for his long history of support for FQHC's and the other delegation members for securing this funding."

The following FQHCs in New Jersey have been awarded federal funding:

* AtlantiCare Health Services (Egg Harbor Twp.) $1,338,566

* Community Health Care, Inc. (Bridgeton) $4,279,631

* Horizon Health Center (Jersey City) $1,551,275

* Jewish Renaissance Medical Center (Perth Amboy) $1,410,791

* Lakewood Resource and Referral Center $1,181,672

* Monmouth Family Health Center (Long Branch) $1,050,590

* Newark, City of $2,057,595

* Newark Community Health Centers, Inc. $2,879,051

* North Hudson Community Action Corporation (Union City) $4,769,706

* Ocean Health Initiatives, Inc. (Lakewood) $1,843,998

* Paterson Community Health Center, Inc. $1,822,626

* Project H.O.P.E., Inc. (Camden) $1,003,759

* Rutgers, The State University Of New Jersey (Piscataway) $2,116,293

* Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, Inc. (Hammonton) $4,396,705

* Visiting Nurse Assoc. of Central Jersey Community (Asbury Park) $1,024,205

* Zufall Health Center, Inc. (Dover) $3,169,205

"Federally Qualified Health Centers serve as a vital lifeline for hundreds of thousands in New Jersey, ensuring that healthcare is within reach for those most in need," said HHS Regional Director Jackie Cornell-Bechelli. "By maintaining our investments in centers like North Hudson Community Action Center, we are keeping these lifelines, and the communities they serve, stronger and healthier."

ACA is injecting a total of $11 billion in new funding over five years to help community health centers expand their operational capacity to serve nearly 20 million new patients nationwide. In New Jersey, the health care law has provided more than $141.5 million for health centers to offer a broader array of primary care services, extend their hours of operations, hire more providers, and renovate or build new clinical spaces.

Sen. Menendez authored an amendment included in ACA's final passage that requires private insurance plans on the exchange to fully reimburse FQHCs at no less than the same rate as Medicaid in order to ensure the economic vitality of community health centers and properly recognize them for the valuable role they play in the American health care system.

Read this original document at: https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-sires-announce-36m-in-funding-for-federally-qualified-health-centers-in-nj