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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Amid Record Demand, Community Health Centers Confront Key Obstacles

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Thursday, August 10, 2023   

This week is National Health Center Week.

The facilities help to close care gaps in underserved communities, and regional and national leaders hope recruiting efforts and pleas for federal funding pay off as they try to meet demand. Last year, Community Health Centers served a record 31.5 million patients in places such as rural areas, communities of color and tribal areas. In 2021, nearly 136,000 individuals in North and South Dakota sought care at these facilities.

Shelly Ten Napel, CEO of the Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas, said like other sectors, they face pressure in finding enough staff members to keep centers operating.

"The resources are there, the desire's there, the need's there," Ten Napel explained. "It's just the challenge of recruiting folks."

The shortages are especially felt among nurses who help with primary care and those who see dental patients. Her organization hopes to expand outreach to convince more people to enter the fields. While there are current resources to fill open positions, a federal funding extension expires at the end of September. There is bipartisan support to address it, but the Congressional recess creates uncertainty.

Susan Burton, director of national grassroots advocacy for the National Association of Community Health Centers, said with Capitol Hill in recess, advocates are inviting Congressional members from both sides of the aisle to visit a health center in their districts to better understand the urgent need for continued resources.

"Community health centers are small businesses, and imagine being a small business and not knowing if you're going to have funding coming in to pay your vendors or to sign a contract with your employees," Burton pointed out. "If community health centers don't know that they're going to have funding year to year, it's really difficult for them to recruit and retain providers."

One in 11 Americans are health-center patients, and Ten Napel noted they serve everybody, regardless of their ability to pay.

"We serve people on a sliding-fee scale based on income," Ten Napel emphasized. "Health centers really try to wrap around a whole range of services that people may or may not need. So, we think about things like transportation and access to affordable medication."

While federal funding is a concern, North Dakota this year did approve $2 million in new funding for health centers.

Disclosure: The National Association of Community Health Centers contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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