07 LC 96
2139
Senate
Resolution 100
By:
Senators Murphy of the 27th and Pearson of the 51st
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
February 1, 2007, as "Community Health Centers Day"; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
federally qualified community health centers located in over 100 medically
underserved communities provide high quality primary and preventive health care
to 239,000 people in the State of Georgia, including the working poor,
uninsured, 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 $34 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 30 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 the Georgia Association for Primary
Health Care have supported President George W. Bush´s goal of increasing
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 SENATE that the members of this body recognize
the foregoing by designating February 1, 2007, as "Community Health Centers
Day."
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Georgia Association
for Primary Health Care.