Join the movement.

Join us in celebrating National Health Center Week, August 13 – 19, and become part of a growing movement to create the healthiest nation in one generation. Petaluma Health Center (PHC) is celebrating the power of prevention, advocating for healthy and fair policies, and sharing strategies for successful partnerships in creating a strong public health system. Our  goal is to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s Health Centers for more than 50 years!

Health centers not only prevent illness and foster wellness in the most challenging populations, they produce innovative solutions to the most pressing health care issues in their communities. They reach beyond the walls of conventional medicine to address the factors that may cause sickness, such as lack of nutrition, mental illness, homelessness and opioid addiction. Because of our long record of success in innovation, managing health care costs, and reducing chronic disease, health centers have a proud tradition of bipartisan support in Congress.

There are 48 million uninsured people in this nation and another 56 million who, although they may have health insurance, live in areas without doctors and basic health services. One of the bright spots in America’s health care system, Community Health Centers serve more than 25 million Americans, a number that continues to grow along with the demand for affordable primary care.

They have compiled a significant record of success that includes:

• Producing $24 billion in annual health system savings
• Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the emergency room
• Treating patients for a fraction of the average cost of one emergency room visit
• Maintaining patient satisfaction levels of nearly 100 percent
• Serving more than one in six Medicaid beneficiaries for less than two percent of the national Medicaid budget

We need to raise awareness of the needs that exist in our communities and the high costs of failure to provide primary care and preventive health. More people need to understand that PHC is a tested and accountable model of health care has produced the markers to expanding access and providing the cost effective care that can improve health for all in our community. National Health Center Week is an opportunityto speak out for your health center and the people and communities who rely on its services for healthy and productive lives.

To learn more about NHCW and the listing of events please visit: www.healthcenterweek.org.