Funding will assistance underserved communities formerly impacted by disasters with new protections to preserve health and fitness centers open up throughout upcoming emergencies
As hurricane period begins, the Biden-Harris Administration, as a result of the U.S. Section of Wellness and Human Solutions (HHS) and the Health and fitness Assets and Companies Administration (HRSA), introduced it is building roughly $65 million available to assist make certain communities in hurricane-inclined places have continual obtain to main care providers in the course of long run emergencies. This funding will be readily available for new design, renovations and infrastructure repairs at wellness centers in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico to avert flooding, improve emergency generators, and strengthen conversation and mechanical units in advance of future disasters. Well being centers are a cornerstone of our country’s overall health treatment technique, specifically for people and people who are uninsured enrolled in Medicaid and dwelling in rural, remote, or underserved parts.
“Last yr, HRSA-funded health and fitness facilities supplied vital care to the persons impacted by hurricanes Fiona and Ian,” claimed HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These new resources will make it probable for more men and women and households, especially individuals most typically impacted by disasters and emergencies, to obtain health and fitness facilities.”
The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to be certain communities look at local weather resilience as they approach for the potential – from modernizing constructing codes to make structures additional protective and fewer pollutive, to harnessing the energy of ecosystems like reefs, beaches, and wetlands, which preserve folks safer during storms.
“Through hurricanes, floods, and other purely natural disasters, overall health centers hold their doors open and are a lifeline to solutions for individuals and their communities. This funding will help make that doable,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “We are building this funding offered to make confident health centers can answer in an emergency and proceed to be cornerstones in their communities when they are required most.”
Cash Guidance for Hurricane Response and Restoration Attempts will boost well being centers’ means to deliver continual accessibility to care in the function of long run emergencies. Illustrations of doable tasks contain having techniques to protect against flooding, these as developing a flood wall or relocating the wellness heart, upgrading emergency turbines, and bettering interaction and mechanical devices.
Eligible HRSA-funded health centers ought to submit purposes in HRSA Electronic Handbooks by 5:00 p.m. ET on July 6, 2023. Visit the Care Technical Guidance Webpage for the discover of funding chance, eligibility prerequisites, specialized assistance data, and other resources.
Currently, the roughly 1,400 HRSA-funded health and fitness centers run practically 15,000 assistance internet sites, like mobile clinics, and participate in local community outreach situations to have interaction people today in available options.
To identify a HRSA-supported health and fitness middle, pay a visit to: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.