Our Community Demands Quality Health Care
About National Health Center Week
The 2011 National Health Center Week Kick-Off Panel (L to R): Karen Butler, Cleveland Dept. of Public Health Director; Dr. Ann Reichsman, Neighborhood Family Practice Medical Director; Randy Runyon, Ohio Assoc. of CHCs President & CEO; Denise San Antonio Zeman, Saint Luke's Foundation President & CEO.
As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Care Alliance is continually challenged to meet the complex needs of a population that, by nature, experiences many barriers to care. We are among three FQHCs in Cleveland who face budget cuts, increasingly sick patient populations and growing limitations to providing the high-quality care these patients deserve. To recognize the importance of FQHCs for Cleveland’s safety net and for the people it serves, we come together as the Cleveland Community Health Center Network to celebrate National Health Center Week during the second week of August each year.
FQHCs across the country recognize National Health Center Week and focus their efforts around a theme. The 2011 NHCW theme was “Serving Locally, Leading Nationally.” The theme highlights the importance of each health center to the community it serves, but also the great strides these centers have made as a whole in the reduction in health disparities, the savings to taxpayers and in the great success of bringing affordable health care to more than 20 million Americans. More information about the annual, nationwide effort can be found at www.healthcenterweek.org.
Dr. James M. Galloway, Assistant US Surgeon General and Acting Regional Director of US DHHS, Region V
The Cleveland Community Health Center Network hosted a Kick-Off event on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at the Visiting Nurse Association. The kick-off included a panel of local health care environment experts, a keynote address by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner, Terry Allan, and appearances and remarks from legislators and government officials, including the Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. James Galloway.
Each health center recognized a Health Care Hero who exemplified outstanding service to our mission over the course of the year.
View additional photos from this year’s event on our Facebook page.
More Resources
- Learn more about advocacy for community health centers.
- Sign up to be a grassroots advocate for health centers at NACHC.org.
- Listen to an interview of Neighborhood Family Practice Executive Director Jean Polster on 90.3 WCPN on the morning of the kick-off.
- Learn about next year’s NHCW event. Contact Megan Havey at (216) 781 – 6228 x 249 or mhavey@carealliance.org.
2011 National Health Center Week Kick-Off Sponsors
We are grateful for the generous support of the following organizations who helped to make our event a success:
