Renewing Community Health for South Dakota
Sioux Falls, SD - Federal legislation reauthorizing the federal Health Centers program is heading next to U-S Senate after the House gave its nod of approval late last week. 60,000 people in SD are cared for by such centers, and the renewal legislation promises to reach even more of the state's citizens. Comments from Scot Graff, the chief executive officer of the Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas.
It provides healthcare for 60,000 South Dakotans in 34 communities, and it may soon be helping even more. It's the federal Health Centers program and it's up for renewal. Scot Graff, CEO of the Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas, says Community Health Centers play a critical role.
Graff Voice: "And it‚s a growing role as the number of uninsured and what we call under-insured continue to increase due to lack of health insurance or quality of health insurance and cost of health care as it rises. So, the number of people our health centers are seeing in both South Dakota and North Dakota is increasing."
Graff says the renewal passed in the House with bi-partisan support, and now it's on to the Senate. He says the legislation would also expand the program, which currently provides care for over 17 million Americans.
Graff Voice: "We are working with our national organization and health centers across the country to reach 30 million patients by 2015. And I think in both North and South Dakota we would look to this authorization to allow us to expand and continue to serve more patients while cleaning up some of the provisions in the law."
Graff says this renewal adds liability protection for doctors who volunteer at health centers or travel to provide emergency service. He was pleased that both the North and South Dakota congressional delegations supported the reauthorization, something that comes up every five years.