National Health Center Week, 2011

Vol. 76

Wednesday,

No. 154

August 10, 2011

Part IV

The President

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Proclamation 8698--National Health Center Week, 2011

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8698 of August 5, 2011

National Health Center Week, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Across our Nation, over 19 million Americans look to
community health centers for medical checkups,
education, advice, and critical services that keep them
healthy. Throughout National Health Center Week, we
recommit to supporting this vital resource for
underserved communities, and we recognize the critical
role community health centers play in our health-care
system.

Every day, men, women, and children find help at
community health centers. These centers lead the way in
providing high-quality services at an affordable cost,
while lifting up the quality of life for their
patients. We see the results among Medicaid
beneficiaries--those receiving care from a health
center are less likely to be unnecessarily hospitalized
or visit an emergency room. We also see the effects in
rural areas with community health centers, where
hospitals see fewer uninsured emergency room visits.
These health centers are easy to access--Americans can
find a health center near them by using the ``Find a
Health Center'' tool at www.HRSA.gov.

My Administration continues to support these centers.
Between the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and
the Affordable Care Act, new funding has been committed
to support technology and infrastructure updates to
existing centers, as well as the construction of new
ones. These laws also provided for important new
initiatives that will benefit all Americans. The
Affordable Care Act provided for the Health Centers
Advanced Primary Care Practice demonstration project,
which will use community health centers to test the
impact of team-based treatment approaches on the care
of elderly patients.

Across our vast and diverse land, Americans have always
made it their duty to serve their neighbors in need. It
is the common interest and purpose of building a
stronger, healthier Nation that drives the work of
community health centers and fuels our efforts to
improve our health-care system. During National Health
Center Week, we celebrate the contributions of
community health centers, and we rededicate ourselves
to advancing the well-being of all our people.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim the week of August 7
through August 13, 2011, as National Health Center
Week. I encourage all Americans to celebrate this week
by visiting their local community health center,
meeting local health center providers, and exploring
the programs they offer to help keep their families
healthy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.