HHS Awards $5.25 Million to North Carolina Health Centers to Expand Oral Health Services
Raleigh, NC – Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced $5.25 million in funding to support 15 Community Health Centers (CHCs) in North Carolina to increase access to integrated oral health care services and improve oral health outcomes for Health Center Program patients. This funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be used to enable health centers to expand integrated oral health care services and increase the number of patients served.
“This funding will help address a very significant need for oral health services in our state. In 2014, North Carolina community health centers provided almost 170,000 dental visits. These resources will expand that reach, and further expand our integrated healthcare model which treats oral health in conjunction with physical health.” said E. Benjamin Money, Jr., President and CEO of the North Carolina Community Health Center Association.
About the North Carolina Community Health Center Association
The North Carolina Community Health Center Association serves as the collective voice for North Carolina’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Look-alikes (LAs)—aka Community Health Centers (CHCs). Our members offer a patient-governed, patient-centered health care home that integrates high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and enabling services without regard to a person’s ability to pay. Community Health Centers are geographically dispersed across 72 counties and 38 CHCs operate nearly 200 clinical sites.