HHS Awards $79 Million to Support Health Center Response to Emergencies

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded over $79 million in construction and other capital support for 165 HRSA-funded health centers impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkut, and Super Typhoon Yutu, and wildfires and earthquakes occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019.

“HRSA-funded health centers play a vital role on the front lines in their communities every day, and even more so during a crisis,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “This funding is the latest in the Trump Administration’s efforts to support Americans affected by the past several years of hurricanes, wildfires, typhoons, and earthquakes, and builds on other HHS investments to strengthen health centers’ readiness to serve their communities after disasters.”

HRSA’s Capital Assistance for Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts (CADRE) funding will help ensure access to health care services for communities impacted by disasters and increase health center capacity to respond to and recover from future emergencies. CADRE funding was made available by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act in 2019.

“HRSA funded health centers are uniquely positioned to deliver needed services during an emergency,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “This funding will ensure affected health centers have the resources they need to maintain operations during a crisis, while continuing to provide quality care to our nation’s most vulnerable populations.” 

For 55 years, HRSA-funded health centers have delivered affordable, accessible, quality, and value-based primary health care to millions of people regardless of their ability to pay. HRSA funds nearly 1,400 health centers operating almost 13,000 sites, providing care to nearly 30 million people across the nation, in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin.

For a list of award recipients, visit https://bphc.hrsa.gov/program-opportunities/cadre/fy2020-awards.

For more information about CADRE, visit https://bphc.hrsa.gov/program-opportunities/cadre.