Sens. Booker, Menendez Announce Additional $30M to Support Community Health Centers Battling COVID-19 Outbreak

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 15 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, announced a combined $30,108,526 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support New Jersey's 24 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 federal stimulus package, signed into law last month, allocated over $1.3 billion to support community health centers across the country. FQHCs are trusted providers for many in lower-income communities who need access to health care services.

"Communities across New Jersey and our nation continue to battle a public health crisis, so it's more important than ever that we protect those who need it most," said Sen. Booker. "This federal funding will help ensure our community health centers can provide critical health care services to some of our most underserved communities as part of our larger effort to contain the spread of this virus and protect the health and safety of all New Jerseyans."

"Community health centers are often the first place families across New Jersey go to when they need affordable and high quality health care," said Sen. Menendez, a member of the bipartisan team that negotiated the stimulus package and author of the provision in the Affordable Care Act that led to the largest national expansion of FQHCs. "As these centers face shortages in personal protection equipment, medical supplies and personnel, they need our support now more than ever. I applaud the work of our state's FQHCs during these trying times and am committed to fighting for the additional resources our health centers need to combat the outbreak."

Last week, the senators announced the first wave of funding from the COVID-19 emergency stimulus package, which will deliver billions to help New Jersey fight the coronavirus. Over $82 million was released to support communities on the frontlines of the outbreak and another $1.76 billion was allocated to support NJ Transit's operations. On Friday, the Small Business Administration (SBA) began accepting applications for $350 billion in forgivable loans and grants.

Last month, the senators announced $1.8 million to help FQHCs battle the outbreak, which the lawmakers secured in the $8.3 billion coronavirus emergency funding package. Sen. Menendez also visited North Hudson Community Action Corp., an FQHC in Passaic where he met with health care workers to discuss their efforts in combatting COVID-19.

The following FQHCs were awarded funding:

See table here (https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-menendez-announce-additional-30m-to-support-community-health-centers-battling-covid-19-outbreak)

In New Jersey, there are 24 Community Health Centers that operate 137 satellite sites, providing preventive and primary health care services to over a half-million New Jersey residents.