Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik sent a letter to House Leadership as well as members of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education requesting $100 million in funding for a new grant program within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support School-Based Health Centers (SBHC’s). Indefinite school closures have created a gap in health services as some SBHC’s that operate in school facilities have been forced to close. In rural areas, SBHC’s address the needs of adolescents and their families, especially when the nearest hospital or clinic can be located a county away with no public transportation. This letter outlines the need for more funding to support SBHC’s in New York, where many have lost revenue and been challenged with providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter has been signed by members of New York’s Congressional Delegation.
“Many communities in the North Country rely on SBHC’s to address their immediate primary and behavioral healthcare needs,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of these centers have been forced to close or limit the services they provide. I am leading this effort, along with my New York colleagues, to urge leadership to include funding for these centers in the fourth federal stimulus package. Supporting our SBHC’s correlates directly to taking the burden off of our hospitals and community health centers, who have seen an unprecedented challenge during the COVID-19 outbreak. I will continue to advocate for community-based health centers and their unique needs.”
