FLINT, Mich. – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell today announced $500,000 in funding to help two area health centers increase and expand activities in response to the lead contamination of Flint’s water.
Following a tour of the Hamilton Community Health Network, Inc. (HCHN), Burwell and HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dr. Nicole Lurie, who is leading the federal response and recovery effort in Flint, announced that HCHN and Genesee Health System (GHS) will each receive $250,000 in emergency supplemental funding to hire additional personnel and provide more lead testing, treatment, outreach, and education to meet the increased need for health services in the Flint community.
“We are focused on supporting the people of Flint by helping to ensure they have access to clean water and the health services they need to mitigate the effects of lead exposure,” said Burwell. “This additional funding will allow health centers in Flint to enhance their lead testing efforts and quickly hire more staff for community outreach and to better meet the needs of the people they serve.”
In addition to touring HCHN, Burwell met with community members and elected officials, including Governor Rick Snyder, about the federal government’s response and recovery effort. The focus of the federal response is to work at every level of government to support state and local officials in ensuring Flint has access to safe water, and there is a clear understanding of the impact of lead exposure on residents’ health in order to mitigate the damage.
“Primary care, which includes ongoing lead screening, follow up, and continued attention to a child’s development, is important for children in Flint,” Lurie added. “The funding we’re announcing today is one of many ways we are supporting health recovery for the community, and we will continue to look across federal programs, including in health, nutrition and education, to assist the people of Flint.”
Last week, during a meeting with members of House Democratic leadership and the Michigan delegation, Burwell and Lurie confirmed that HHS anticipates being able to quickly approve a number of requests, including a major Medicaid coverage expansion for children and pregnant women in Flint that would include blood-lead level monitoring, behavioral health services nutritional support, and comprehensive targeted case management, among other services.
More than 1,300 health centers, supported by Health Resources and Services Administration, operate approximately 9,000 service delivery sites in every U.S. state, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin. These health centers employ more than 170,000 staff who provide care for nearly 23 million patients. For millions of Americans, including some of the most vulnerable individuals and families, health centers are the essential medical home where they find services that promote health, diagnose and treat disease and disability, and help them cope with environmental challenges that put them at risk.
View more information on the Health Center Program: www.bphc.hrsa.gov
Find a Health Center in your area: www.findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov
Learn more on HHS’s response to the Flint Crisis: https://www.hhs.gov/blog/2016/01/19/ground-week-hhs-lead-federal-response-flint.html
