In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, host Amanda Pears Kelly marks the 60th anniversary of the Community Health Center Program by exploring the history, purpose, and enduring impact of America’s most vital safety-net program. Joined by Dr. Thomas Ward, professor, historian and author of Out in the Rural: A Mississippi Health Center and […]
The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) promises to expand access, strengthen the workforce, modernize care, and test new delivery models. But in practice, it leaves out a critical part of the rural health system: community health centers (CHCs). CHCs are the largest primary care network serving rural and underserved communities, yet RHTP includes no dedicated […]
Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is grateful for the bipartisan support for community health centers and the funding increase secured through the end of 2026. Specifically, the Community Health Center Program was funded at $4.6 billion through the end of 2026. We recognize that advancing this legislation, particularly through the end of the calendar year, […]
Industry groups cheered the funding for programs — from research to HIV prevention — that the Trump administration previously planned to cut, reports John Wilkerson and Daniel Payne from STAT News. The extension of telehealth and other key programs were also welcomed by health industry leaders, who emphasized the need for further legislative progress on […]
Congressional leaders on Tuesday (Jan. 20) unveiled a bipartisan health care package, which was quietly negotiated over the past two weeks, that would extend key Medicare telehealth flexibilities, continue mandatory funding for community health centers, implement a handful of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms, and reauthorize a slate of expiring public health and Medicare programs, […]
The following statement was issued today by Advocates for Community Health CEO Amanda Pears Kelly, in response to the proposed bipartisan FY26 Appropriations “Minibus” announcement: “We are grateful for the bipartisan support for health centers and the funding increase included through the end of 2026. Advancing this legislation required significant collaboration and reflects a shared […]
We are proud to launch the inaugural class of CHC Changemakers, a national platform celebrating six decades of bipartisan leadership and innovation within the Community Health Center Program. From its earliest days, the health center movement has been championed by leaders across the political spectrum who share a commitment to access and community-driven care. This […]
Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is very grateful that community health centers were included in the shutdown reopening bill, helping ensure continuity of care for millions of patients nationwide. “At a time when stability in the health care safety net is more important than ever, we are grateful that lawmakers recognized the critical role health […]
ACH’s letter to Congressional Leadership was covered in this article from Inside Health Policy: “Health and teaching centers and clinicians are urging congressional leaders to find a longer-term government funding solution that provides increased funding to the key federal programs on which they rely,” reports Amy Lotven at Inside Health Policy. The Community Health Center […]
ACH’s CEO Amanda Pears Kelly was quoted in The Washington Post Health Brief: The stopgap funding bill, if passed by both chambers, would tackle a number of outstanding health care items that lapsed at the end of September. That includes temporarily extending Medicare coverage for more services via telehealth and likely backpay for physicians who have provided […]
