posted by
Serina Bernardo
Institute staff head to Washington DC to advocate for community health centers
February 27, 2024
On February 14th, Institute staff members gathered with staff from other community health centers and the Community Health Center Association of New York State (CHCANYS) to meet with elected officials in Washington, D.C. Dr. Neil Calman, CEO of the Institute for Family Health; Dr. Eric Gayle, President of Health Care Services; Michelle Penny, Vice President of Practice Administration; and Jackie Chiofalo, Director of Policy Research and Analysis, attended the event and represented the Institute.
Institute staff discussed our work at community health centers and issues affecting our patients and the communities we serve. Significant topics included funding for community health centers as well as the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program and the National Health Service Corps, which will expire in March 2024. Institute staff advocated for bills to increase funding for community health centers and related programs to continue providing high-quality care, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. We also advocated for telehealth investments, telehealth pay parity, and grant funding for healthcare workforce development programs. Funding for these workforce programs is essential to assuring health centers can find and hire qualified staff.
The Institute for Family Health is grateful to our representatives for taking the time to hear about our work to provide essential healthcare to the community. We would especially like to thank the following elected officials and their staff for meeting with us: Congressmembers Pat Ryan (NY-18), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14).
Institute staff and community health advocates join Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a photo in Washington DC on February 14, 2024.
