DCPCA: MAYOR FENTY AWARDS NEARLY $30 MILLION FOR EXPANSION OF SUCCESSFUL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS INITIATIVE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

December 12, 2008

Washington, DC—The District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA) announced that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has awarded DCPCA a $29.8 million grant to expand and improve access to primary health care services in Washington, DC.  The grant will provide additional funding for DCPCA's Medical Homes DC Capital Projects, which improves access for the District's low-income and uninsured residents' primary health care services by expanding, renovating, and replacing existing community health centers or building brand-new centers in almost every ward in the District.

"These health centers provide patient-centered, high quality, and cost effective health care services, with guaranteed access to people regardless of their ability to pay," says DCPCA Chief Executive Officer Sharon Baskerville.  "This is an innovative program that allows DCPCA to leverage dollars from the DC government to address the growing need for expanded primary health care services for the underserved in the District."

In 2005, DCPCA began the Medical Homes DC project to rebuild a primary care system for the estimated 210,000 low-income residents who live in areas across the District that lack sufficient medical services.  With support from the District of Columbia government, Medical Homes DC Capital Projects currently includes 13 health center capital improvement projects, of which 5 have now been completed and 8 are still in process.  A large proportion of DCPCA's projects are located in wards 7 and 8, which are both underserved, and thus, high priority areas for expanding primary care services as identified by a 2008 RAND Corporation Health report.

"We are proud and excited to enhance the capacity of primary and emergency care for underserved segments of the District of Columbia," said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.  "If you've been watching the news or reading the paper, you know that health care is one of my top priorities.  These grants are just the beginning of a larger, targeted investment of millions of dollars to ensure that all residents of the District have access to the quality health care services they deserve."

DCPCA was awarded this grant as pass-through funding for four community health centers' capital improvement projects in wards 2, 4, and 8.  Two of these projects will occur in Ward 8.  After the capital projects are completed, the health centers will be able to offer expanded primary care, as well as dental, and in some cases, behavioral and specialty care.

• Ward 2:  Bread for the City will expand its existing health center by building a two-story addition on an adjacent lot.  This will increase its primary care services by approximately 11,000 patient visits.
• Ward 4:  Mary's Center for Maternal & Child Care will expand its primary care services by approximately 57,500 patient visits. 
• Ward 8:
  o Community of Hope will develop a new health center that will increase primary care services by approximately 35,000 patient visits.  This center will be a second site for Community of Hope.
  o Unity Health Care, Inc. will expand their patient visits by 26,989, including specialty care.

In total, the capital improvements of these four community health centers will allow for the addition of more than 100,000 primary care visits, which will help reduce health disparities for underserved and uninsured residents in these communities.

DCPCA is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1998 to improve the health of DC's vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care - regardless of their ability to pay.  DCPCA represents 14 primary care providers in 58 sites across the District.  Click here for more information on DCPCA's Program & Accomplishments.

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