08 LC 95
0137
House
Resolution 1109
By:
Representatives Parrish of the
156th,
Channell of the
116th,
Stephens of the
164th,
Harbin of the
118th,
Shaw of the
176th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
February 13, 2008, as "Community Health Centers Day"; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
federally qualified community health centers located in over 120 medically
underserved communities provide high quality primary and preventive health care
to 255,000 people in the State of Georgia, including over 75,000 Medicaid
recipients and 115,000 uninsured, the working poor, a large number of
underinsured, elderly, homeless, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations,
without regard to income status, cultural or ethnic heritage, or disease
conditions; and
WHEREAS,
community health centers bring over $42 million per year to Georgia communities,
recruit and retain excellent health care professionals where they are most
needed, and offer access to a wide range of cost-effective medical and dental
services and prescription medicines as well as to health education, nutrition
counseling, translation services, community outreach transportation, and support
programs; and
WHEREAS,
community health centers have a track record spanning four decades of
controlling costs, documented in several studies which show that rates of costly
emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and specialty care referrals are much
lower among health center patients than patients of other providers;
and
WHEREAS,
community health centers save the Medicaid program up to 33 percent in annual
spending per Medicaid beneficiary; and
WHEREAS,
community health centers work in partnership with other health care providers,
local hospitals, health departments, social service agencies, and health related
support services to maximize resources and assure that services are coordinated
to improve the health status of the community; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia's community health centers and their state organization, the Georgia
Association for Primary Health Care, have worked diligently to increase the
number of community health centers in Georgia and across the nation and have
taken a leadership role in establishing more centers in underserved communities
to help resolve this state's health care access problems, demonstrating
commendable efforts in continuous quality improvement, reduction of health
disparities among the underserved, the implementation of new health care
initiatives such as Medicaid managed care and electronic health records, and
utilization of the latest technology to improve both operations and delivery of
services to more Georgians; and
WHEREAS,
community health centers deserve commendation for their valuable contributions
in expanding access to health care, their outstanding record of service, and
their dedication to improving health care and the health status of all
Georgians.
NOW,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body recognize the foregoing by designating February 13, 2008, as
"Community Health Centers Day."
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Georgia
Association for Primary Health Care.