Federal, state and local officials will honor the nation’s community, migrant and homeless health centers as part of National Health Center Week 2007 from Aug. 5 - 11, 2007.

Health centers provide care for 16 million Americans and never turn anyone away, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

“America’s Health Centers: Your Health Care Home” is the theme of this year’s national campaign, which officials said underscores the critical importance of access to affordable health care.

About 56 million Americans - or nearly one in five residents - do not have access to a health care home to address their basic needs, according to a report by the National Association of Community Health Centers.

“Everyone should have a health care home where they can go to address their basic health care needs, such as a common cold or a migraine,” said Judy Raveaux, executive director of CHANGE Inc.

Congress has taken the step of investing $750 million in new funding for health centers over the past six years. This year, lawmakers appropriated a historic $207 million increase in funding aimed at providing 1.5 million more Americans with a health care home.

Family Medical Care used the funding to transition into a Federally Qualified Health Center and increase its services to include an in-house pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology services.

“The importance of having a health care home cannot be overlooked in the current debate about health care reform,” said Raveaux. “With over $18 billion a year wasted on avoidable visits to hospital emergency rooms, we must widen access to affordable health care through America’s Health Centers.”

For more information Family Medical Care, visit www.familymc.org or call Cheryl at 304-748-2828.