Happy National Health Center Week!
Tepeyac is proud to be part of the many Community Health Centers in the country celebration National Health Center Week. Community health centers nationwide served more than 30 million patients in 2021. A legacy of more than 60 years in the making, the Community Health Center movement began as a journey of building power among people within their unique communities.
Today, Community Health Centers represent the largest network of primary care providers in America. Community Health Centers like Tepeyac serve 1 in 11 people in the U.S., including:
1 in 9 children and adolescents
1 in 7 racial and ethnic minorities
1 in 6 Medicaid beneficiaries
1 in 5 uninsured persons
1 in 3 people in poverty
Additionally, federal policy requires that at least 51% of Community Health Center board members be patients of the health centers they represent. Consumer board members volunteer their time and expertise to be a voice for others who are served by the health center in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. We celebrate the patients and community board members who keep Community Health Centers accountable for meeting the needs of local communities.
This year was remarkable as the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation honoring National Health Center Week 2023 (NHCW). The national celebration runs August 6th through the 12th and includes a host of events that highlight Community Health Centers’ record of success and their longstanding, bipartisan support.
“Every year, our Nation’s nearly 1,400 federally funded community health centers provide critical, accessible, and affordable medical, dental, and behavioral health care to over 30 million Americans,” states the Proclamation, signed by President Joe Biden. “Spread across every State and territory, these vital health care centers help make real the promise that health care in this country should be a right, not a privilege. During National Health Center Week, we celebrate their dedicated staff and recommit to providing the resources these vital centers need to continue protecting the well-being of the American people.”
“Time and again, evidence reveals that health centers make a powerful difference in the communities they serve. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, community health centers distributed over 20 million vaccines — nearly 70 percent of which went to people of color and more than 20 percent to those who lived in rural areas. In these ways, they help bridge a critical gap in access to lifesaving prevention and treatment. And because of their patient-majority governing board structure, health centers ensure that their mission and decision-making are informed not only by medical experts but, principally, by the people they serve…. These investments are a matter of human dignity and fairness. When we fail to invest in the health outcomes of some communities, we all suffer. But when we take the necessary actions to improve care in every zip code, we are all better for it.”
Read the full text of the White House Proclamation.
We are thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize our amazing patients, staff and community! Celebrate with us this week and every week at Tepeyac Community Health Center! Make an appointment today by calling 303-458-5302.