Policymakers at all levels of government greatly impact health care funding and delivery in our communities. At CHAS we want to share our appreciation to our federal delegation, Senators Cantwell and Murray, and Representative McMorris-Rodgers from Washington, and Senators Crapo and Risch, and Representative Fulcher from Idaho. With the passing of the CARES Act, the Community Health Center Program was extended through November which has been critical to providing access to our patients in these unprecedented times due to the pandemic.
When data showed that adult dental Medicaid utilization rate was very low across Washington, CHAS worked closely with our State Legislators and the Washington Association for Community Health to fund dental capacity grants. With legislative support, CHAS was able to garner funding to help build East Mission Dental and Family Dental which increased thousands of additional dental visits for low-income patients. Additionally, working with past and current Spokane City Council Members and Mayors and state legislators, local and state funding was secured to help build the East Central Dental Clinic set to open in October.
These are just a few examples of why we are very grateful to have the support of elected officials at all levels of government and from all sides of the political spectrum. Without their continued help, CHAS would simply not be able to continue to improve the overall health of the communities we serve. During National Health Center Week we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to our elected officials and their hardworking staff for their partnership and efforts!
