**For Immediate Release**

Kyla Gill, Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov 

Vaibhav Vijay, Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov 

Congresswoman Summer Lee Honored by National Association of Community Health Centers for Dedication to Community Health

Pittsburgh, PA – August 5th, 2024 – Today, Congresswoman Summer Lee was honored by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) for her unwavering support and advocacy for community health centers, particularly federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The award ceremony took place at North Side Christian Health Center, located at 816 Middle St., Pittsburgh, PA.

The event began with a tour of the North Side Christian Health Center, led by Bethany Blackburn, CEO of NSCHC; Winter Epps, Finance Director of NSCHC; Chris Rosselot, Vice-President of NSCHC Board of Directors; and Richard Rinehart, President of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC). Following the tour, the NACHC presented Congresswoman Lee with the award, recognizing her tireless efforts to support and advocate for community health centers.

Congresswoman Lee said, “I am honored to receive this recognition from the National Association of Community Health Centers. Our community health centers are vital lifelines for so many, providing essential healthcare services to our most underserved populations. This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all the healthcare professionals who tirelessly serve our communities. It’s also a reminder of the critical need for continued support and investment in these centers to ensure that everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, has access to quality healthcare. I will continue to fight in Congress for increased funding and support for our health centers, as they are crucial to the well-being of our communities.”

Background on Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs):

FQHCs, commonly known as community health centers, are federally funded nonprofit health centers or clinics serving medically underserved areas and populations. They provide primary care services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay, typically on a sliding scale fee. In PA-12, there are six FQHCs leveraging $20,740,576 in federal investments to serve 57,730 patients:

• Cornerstone Care, Inc
• East Liberty Family Health Care Center, Inc.
• North Side Christian Health Center
• Primary Care Health Services, Inc.
• Squirrel Hill Health Center
• Sto-Rox Neighborhood Health Council Inc

Related Legislative Actions:

FQHCs have the following primary legislative priorities:

1. Increase federal funding for community health centers 
2. Bolster the health center workforce through enhanced retention and recruitment
3. Protect access to the 340B Program
4. Improve access to telehealth services 

Congresswoman Lee is a co-lead of the Green New Deal for Health Act with Rep. Khanna. Among other measures, the bill would invest $130 billion over five years in community health centers.

Furthermore, in December 2023, Lee supported passage of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378). This bill includes: 

• $4.4 billion per year for Community Health Centers through December 2025
• $350 million per year for the National Health Service Corps through December 2025
• More than doubles the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program over seven years to $300 million.

Additionally, for both Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025, Congresswoman Lee signed onto appropriations letters requesting robust funding for community health centers, as well health care-focused workforce training programs.

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Since taking office in January 2023, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $1.85 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 2,300 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.