National Health Center Week 2023 Recap

Every August, thousands of community health centers (CHCs) across the country celebrate National Health Center Week (NHCW). It is a celebratory occasion to commemorate the critical healthcare services CHCs provide for over 30 million patients annually (National Association of Community Health Centers, n.d.). The week is also an opportunity to raise awareness and engage our decision-makers about the issues and legislation impacting CHCs.??

Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC) organized their NHCW theme around “The Roadmap to Healthier Communities.” NEVHC is proud to provide a roadmap to healthier communities, with its 50-year history of consistently expanding access to comprehensive and quality health care to underserved communities in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. The range of services NEVHC provides goes beyond primary care and includes STD/HIV testing, behavioral health, and case management to ensure patients are connected to the services they need to manage their health effectively.? Each day of NHCW encompassed a special focus on NEVHC’s achievements and gratitude to the staff, patients, and local leaders who help CHCs thrive. This year, NEVHC engaged with multiple elected officials and celebrated in the community with a health and resource fair. Below is a summary of what NEVHC highlighted and celebrated during NHCW to give an overview of NEVHC’s roadmap to healthier communities. ?

NEVHC’s Roadmap to Healthier Communities?

NEVHC highlighted several themes and activities throughout the week to help commemorate NHCW. Early in the week, NEVHC focused on the importance of healthcare services for people experiencing homelessness. With many of NEVHC’s unhoused populations experiencing barriers to transportation, NEVHC meets their patients where they are with a 36-foot Mobile Clinic and Street Medicine Team providing critical medical support. NEVHC also has two Transition to Wellness health centers that provide medical, dental, and behavioral health services for special populations, including the unhoused. ??

Next, NEVHC showcased how it addresses food insecurity through nutrition education and produce giveaways. Specifically, NEVHC’s Community Wellness staff organizes 4-6 produce giveaways that distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to approximately 700 families per month.? During NHCW, NEVHC’s team also organized a Produce Giveaway at our Sun Valley Health Center that distributed over 1,400 pounds to community members!?

Throughout the week, NEVHC showed appreciation for multiple community leaders’ ongoing support for CHCs. The first highlight was a special visit and check presentation from Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (AD-40) at our SCV Dental & Wellness Center. Assemblywoman Schiavo helped secure $405,000 to support NEVHC's infrastructure advancements at our Santa Clarita Valley clinic sites. NEVHC CEO Kimberly Wyard stated, "This funding will empower NEVHC to invest in new equipment such as EKG machines, purchase 2,000 bilingual (Spanish/English) children's books to bolster the Reach Out and Read program, and undertake minor renovations that [will improve accessibility] for patients with disabilities."??

NHCW also welcomed Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (AD-46), who toured NEVHC’s new Van Nuys Women & Reproductive Health Center to learn about the important reproductive health services provided. On Stakeholder Appreciation Day, NEVHC inaugurated our new Van Nuys Women’s & Reproductive Health Center alongside Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), who secured $1.65 million in federal funding for NEVHC.? Senator Caroline Menjivar, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Councilmember Imelda Padilla, and various key leaders in the healthcare industry also attended to celebrate the special event and grand opening.??

Finally, the week ended with a visit from Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-27) to the newly opened SCV Dental & Wellness Center to tour the center and discuss pressing federal funding priorities for CHCs. Without the support of community leaders, NEVHC and thousands of CHCs across the nation would not be able to provide access to the millions of medically underserved populations. NHCW was a time to highlight CHCs' invaluable work and demonstrate that expanding access to healthcare takes a village. NEVHC's NHCW was an opportunity to express what healthier communities can look like when everyone comes together. Whether it is NEVHC's E6 Street Medicine team visiting unhoused populations or their Community Wellness team addressing patients' social determinants of health with produce or advocating to local leaders on why CHCs are a critical artery in their district, CHCs help build healthier communities.?

Written by Julie Leyba, Government & Community Relations Manager

Sources

National Association of Community Health Centers. What is a Community Health Center? https://www.nachc.org/community-health-centers/what-is-a-health-center/