Hometown Health Centers Celebrates National Health Center Week 2021

Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 -- National Health Center Week (Aug. 8-14) is an annual celebration with the goal of raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers over the past five decades.

Community health centers provide care to people who disproportionately suffer from chronic disease and lack access to affordable, quality care. While our approach is community based and local, collectively we are the backbone of the nation’s primary care system reducing rates of chronic diseases, stimulating local economies, and lowering healthcare costs by $24 billion annually.

Hometown Health Centers (HHC) is one of the region’s top-rated medical and dental facilities. With offices at 1044 State Street in Schenectady and 67 Division Street in Amsterdam, Hometown Health Centers is nationally recognized for providing high quality, cost-effective primary health care to all in need with particular concern for low-income residents. HHC is a FTCA- (Federal Tort Claims Act) deemed health center. As the primary care provider of choice for more than 20,000 patients, we offer primary and preventive health care to children and families, behavioral health, vision, on-site pharmacy and lab services, as well as comprehensive dental care.

Community health centers are not just healers for 30 million Americans. We are also innovators who look beyond medical charts to address the factors that cause poor health such as poverty, homelessness, substance use, mental illness, lack of nutrition, and unemployment. We are a critical piece of the healthcare system and collaborate with hospitals, local and state governments, social, health and business organizations to improve health outcomes for people who are medically vulnerable.

While COVID-19 continues to exacerbate social and medical inequities across the country, community health centers have stretched themselves to reconfigure services for those in need. As unemployment rates rise and more people lose their employee-sponsored health insurance, community health centers must remain open to provide comprehensive care for all, regardless of insurance status.

The mission of community health centers remains crucial today because access to basic care remains a challenge in parts of the United States. HHC appreciates the support from our staff, community and our elected officials.