On Common Ground News – 24/7 local newsOn Common Ground News – 24/7 local news
  • Home
  • Local News
    • Atlanta
    • DeKalb
    • Rockdale
    • Gwinnett
    • City of Stonecrest
  • Legal Notices
  • HelpLines
  • Crime
  • COVID-19
  • Coming Up
  • Business
  • Education
  • Life
    • Restaurants
    • Travel
    • Explore
    • Special Events
    • Community Calendar
    • 2021 Graduates
  • People
  • Op/Ed
  • Obituaries
  • Contact Us
What's Hot

Temporary road closure in Cty of Stonecrest due to filming June 28

June 27, 2022

DeKalb County Police Athletic League to host “After Dark Basketball Summer League”

June 27, 2022

DeKalb County Police Department to host 2022 Youth Academy

June 27, 2022
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Monday, June 27
Facebook Twitter Instagram
On Common Ground News – 24/7 local newsOn Common Ground News – 24/7 local news
  • Home
  • Local News
    • Atlanta
    • DeKalb
    • Rockdale
    • Gwinnett
    • City of Stonecrest
  • Legal Notices
  • HelpLines
  • Crime
  • COVID-19
  • Coming Up
  • Business
  • Education
  • Life
    • Restaurants
    • Travel
    • Explore
    • Special Events
    • Community Calendar
    • 2021 Graduates
  • People
  • Op/Ed
  • Obituaries
  • Contact Us
On Common Ground News – 24/7 local newsOn Common Ground News – 24/7 local news
Home»Local News»OP/ED: Proposed federal cuts could reduce services at community health centers
Local News

OP/ED: Proposed federal cuts could reduce services at community health centers

By On Common Ground NewsSeptember 21, 2017Updated:September 21, 2017No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

 

Written by Jeffery Taylor

Without immediate Congressional leadership to extend critical funding by Sept. 30, community health centers like Oakhurst Medical Centers, Inc. face a 70 percent reduction in federal funds, which the Department of Health and Human Services has estimated would lead to the closing of 2,800 health center sites.

Community health centers like Oakhurst play a unique and important role at the national, state and local level on providing quality primary health care at affordable cost.

At Oakhurst Medical Centers, we are part of a nationwide network that started more than 50 years ago to provide quality primary care in many places where doctors and services were scarce or non-existent. Our health centers have since grown to serve as the family doctor, dentist, and mental health provider to more than 27 million Americans in communities all over the country. As one of 34 community health centers in Georgia, Oakhurst provides affordable, accessible primary care to some 20,000 annually among our six facilities through appointments or walk-in service. Asian and African refugees and African Americans living near our facilities make up our multi-ethnic base; our diverse staff represents many nationalities.

Community health centers have saved countless lives by providing affordable access to primary care for both insured and uninsured members of our community. At Oakhurst and other community health centers, patients have a convenient and full-service alternative to costly emergency room visits for treatment of non-emergency medical issues. Overall, Community Health Centers generated $24 billion in health care cost savings in the U.S., according to the National Association of Community Health Centers. We are also innovators, working with community partners to respond to public health crises, such as the opioid epidemic, the HIV epidemic and mental health issues right here in Georgia.

I believe that there is little doubt that health centers have contributed significantly to cost savings for the American taxpayer. “We are not just another health care program.” We continue to make a significant difference because we also address those factors that actually cause poor health, such as homelessness, lack of nutrition, stress or unemployment and drug addiction. Health Centers have drawn bipartisan support from U.S. Presidents and lawmakers — including our own Congressional delegation — because of our stellar record of success. Yet, such broad support may not be enough to ensure we can continue to serve people who need affordable primary care in the future.

Right now, community health centers in Georgia are threatened with a severe loss in funding, as are other health centers in nearly 10,000 communities. This “funding cliff,” if not fixed by Congress by the end of this month, will have a direct and immediate impact on the health of our communities. The program would be reduced by approximately 70 percent. The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) itself has projected that the impact would be dramatic: closure of 2,800 health center locations, elimination of more than 50,000 jobs, and a loss of access to care for more than 9 million patients. Oakhurst Medical Centers serves nearly 20,000 patients per year. A 70 percent reduction in our funding would mean scaling back services, serving far fewer patients, and potential elimination of some critical services such as dental care and behavioral health care.

Please join Oakhurst Medical Centers and all of the other health centers in Georgia in calling on our federal lawmakers to extend health center funding before Sept. 30.

We employ our leaders to consider the consequences and fix the funding cliff. Our health depends on it.

Jeffery Taylor is the CEO of Oakhurst Medical Centers, Inc. in Stone Mountain, Georgia, serving individuals and families in DeKalb, Rockdale and surrounding counties.

Post Views: 907
Georgia Oakhurst Medical Centers Department of Health and Human Services
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
On Common Ground News

Related Posts

Temporary road closure in Cty of Stonecrest due to filming June 28

June 27, 2022

DeKalb County Police Athletic League to host “After Dark Basketball Summer League”

June 27, 2022

DeKalb County Police Department to host 2022 Youth Academy

June 27, 2022
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Latest Post

Temporary road closure in Cty of Stonecrest due to filming June 28

June 27, 2022

DeKalb County Police Athletic League to host “After Dark Basketball Summer League”

June 27, 2022

DeKalb County Police Department to host 2022 Youth Academy

June 27, 2022

Commissioner Larry Johnson, 100 Black Men of DeKalb to host Youth Violence Prevention Rally and Summit June 27

June 24, 2022

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news updates from OCGNews.

About Us
About Us

On Common Ground News is published 24/7 by On Common Ground, Inc (OCGNEWS.COM).
The news outlet was founded in April, 1995.

Facebook Twitter YouTube
Latest Posts
  • Temporary road closure in Cty of Stonecrest due to filming June 28
  • DeKalb County Police Athletic League to host “After Dark Basketball Summer League”
  • DeKalb County Police Department to host 2022 Youth Academy
  • City of Stonecrest Council Meeting, June 29, 2022

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news updates from OCGNews.

© 2022 On Common Ground News.
  • Home
  • Life

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT