NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Primary Care and Leadership Program (PCLP) gathered Wednesday, July 15, at the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance to discuss what's been dubbed the "Primary Care Funding Cliff" and its impact on community health centers.
Tennessee Primary Care Network Health Policy Director Libby Thurman, MA was the meeting's keynote speaker, and she opened the conversation with a recap of the situation's most recent events. In April 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act, which provided for the extension of federal funding to community health centers through fiscal year 2017. That legislation averted the "funding cliff" -- the previously anticipated October 2015 expiration of the Health Centers Fund established under the Accordable Care Act -- for the time being.
However, Thurman noted, the financial crisis facing community health centers may not be over. The recent Congressional measure has not averted the "funding cliff," only delayed it.
PCLP members discussed questions regarding future community health center advocacy efforts in the next two years.
Community health centers provide more accessible care with higher rates of patient acceptance, Thurman explained. They also operate at lower costs than the private sector and rank as good or better than many of their private practice counterparts.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance is proud to celebrate 15 years of bridging institutions and communities. The Alliance's mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University and the communities they serve.
About the Primary Care and Leadership Program
The Primary Care and Leadership Program is a part of the National Medical Fellowships, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented minority physicians and other professionals in the healthcare workforce in order to improve access to quality healthcare in medically underserved communities.
