Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

175 CA Community Health Centers will receive emergency funding to expand COVID-19 vaccine distribution, testing and treatment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that 175 community health centers in California will receive nearly $1 billion to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, provide ongoing testing and treatment, and ensure vulnerable communities have access to the care they need amid the ongoing pandemic. This funding is a result of the American Rescue Plan that Senator Padilla voted to pass in Congress and was signed into law earlier this month, and is part of a $6 billion investment nationwide to help Community Health Centers expand access to vaccines. These health centers serve communities of color, rural areas, low-income populations, and other underserved communities.

“We cannot turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic until vaccines are widely distributed and accessible everywhere,” Senator Padilla said. “By providing nearly $1 billion to California Community Health Centers, we can get shots to our hardest hit and hardest to reach communities. This is why I voted for the American Rescue Plan—it is an investment in the Californians who need it most. This funding will help get us past the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare our Community Health Centers to better serve their communities for years to come.”

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will provide this funding starting in April to nearly 1,400 centers across the country, including 175 in California.

This funding will:

• expand COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations;
• deliver preventive and primary health care services to people at higher risk for COVID-19; and
• expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units

Additional information on funding going to California Community Health Centers available here.

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