Funds in recovery package will provide care to an estimated 14,500 patients

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) announced today that Western Wayne Family Health Centers, Inc. will receive $1.3 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act New Access Point grant program to construct a new satellite facility in Taylor. This funding will help provide comprehensive primary and preventative health care services to families in the Romulus-Taylor service area, many of whom do not have health insurance.

“With families losing their jobs and health insurance, community health centers serve as the family doctor to many in our state who are struggling to pay for health care,” said Stabenow. “This recovery package funding will help Western Wayne Family Health Centers to provide families in Taylor with the preventative care they need before they are forced to turn to the emergency room all while creating good-paying jobs here in Michigan.”

“This grant will help fund the construction of a satellite health care facility in Taylor that will make critical health care services more readily available to families and communities in need,” said Levin. “I am pleased that the funds in the economic recovery package are being distributed quickly to maintain and improve essential services, stimulate the economy and create jobs.”

With this recovery grant funding, Western Wayne Family Health Centers, Inc. will be able to open a 5,500 square foot, 12 exam room satellite facility seven miles south of the Inkster facility. The new satellite facility will provide access to health care for an estimated 14,575 patients in the cities of Taylor and Romulus as well as Brownstown and Huron Townships.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act New Access Point program is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HRSA has provided grant support for Health Centers that provide high-quality preventative and primary health care to medically underserved residents across the country.

Last year, HRSA-supported health centers treated more than 16 million people (forty percent of whom were uninsured). One of every 19 people living in the U.S. now relies on a HRSA-funded clinic for primary care. Community Health Centers are also a key source of job creation as well supporting over 105,000 physicians, nurses, dentists, and other health providers.

HRSA released $155 million in grants to support 126 Community Health Centers across the country.