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2 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />PROCLAMATION <br />"COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER WEEK" <br />IN ORANGE COUNTY <br />August 25 - 29, 2003 <br />WHEREAS, There are a significant number of residents and citizens in Orange County <br />who are currently medically under-served for a number of reasons, the most prominent <br />of which include geographical isolation, financial or language, and insufficient access to <br />affordable health care; and <br />WHEREAS, Community Health Centers, now known as Federally Qualified Health <br />Centers (FQHC's), have their origin in the War on Poverty during the 1960's when they <br />were funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity and are now housed and funded by <br />the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Primary Heath Care; and <br />WHEREAS, their mission is to help improve the health of communities by providing <br />access to primary care for needy residents and serve patients without regard to their <br />ability to pay for services; and <br />WHEREAS, this unique service model involves patients directly in the governing of the <br />operations of the organizations; and <br />WHEREAS, community health centers are community owned and operated not-for- <br />profit businesses that provide access to quality, cost effective primary and preventative <br />health care and are vital to the well being of the Orange County community; and <br />WHEREAS, these health centers provide care to 1 of every 5 low-income babies born in <br />America, 1 of every 8 uninsured individuals, 1 of every 9 people of color, 1 of every 9 <br />Medicaid beneficiaries, and 1 of every 10 rural Americans, and these individuals would <br />otherwise lack access to health care; and <br />WHEREAS, these health centers contribute to our community by keeping children <br />healthy and in school, and helping adults remain productive and on the job; and <br />WHEREAS, community health centers promote 100% access and zero health <br />disparities to help achieve primary health care for all people and these health centers <br />tailor their services to fit the special needs and priorities of communities, and work <br />together with schools, businesses, churches, community organizations, foundations, <br />and State and local governments; and <br />WHEREAS, there are more than 1,000 such centers serving 13,000,000 people at more <br />than 4,000 health delivery sites, spanning urban and rural communities in all 50 states, <br />the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands; and <br />