Agenda - 08-19-2003-5b - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 19, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~-~ SUBJECT: Community Health Center Week DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Proclamation INFORMATION CONTACT: Commissioner Moses Carey TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider a proclamation declaring August 25 through 29, 2003 as "Community Health Center Week" in Orange County. BACKGROUND: Community Health Centers, now known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC's), have their origin in the War on Poverty during the 1960's when they were funded by the office of Economic Opportunity and are now housed and funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Primary Health Care. Their primary mission is to help improve the health of communities by providing access to primary health care for needy residents and to serve patients without regard to their ability to pay for services. There are a significant number of residents and citizens in Orange County who are currently medically under-served for a number of reasons, the most prominent of which include geographical isolation, financial or language, and insufficient access to affordable health care. In Orange County, Piedmont Health Services, Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation that operates six health centers and a birthing center in four counties including Orange, Alamance, Chatham and Caswell and provides comprehensive primary health care to medically under- served people. Community Health Centers, like those operated by Piedmont Health Services, promote 100% access and zero health disparities to help achieve primary health care for all people. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with the proclamation. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board proclaim the week of August 25 through 29, 2003 as "Community Health Center Week" in Orange County and urges all citizens to recognize the important contributions of community health centers, such as the ones operated by Piedmont Health Services, Inc., to the improvement of the general quality of life of the residents and citizens of Orange County.