To: STATE EDITORS
Contact: Sip Mouden, CEO, CHC of Arkansas, +1-501-517-2591, [email protected]; Lisa Weaver, CHC of Arkansas, +1-501-517-1743, [email protected]; Tory Archibald, +1-646-218-8748, [email protected], for CHC of Arkansas
National Health Center Week 2008 Dedicated to Good Health through Health Care Heroes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. announced that it will be joined at the Arkansas Primary Care Association Conference this week by the Honorable Governor Mike Beebe, U.S. Congressman Mike Ross (AR-4), U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder (AR-2), U.S. Congressman Marion Berry (AR-1), National Association of Community Health Centers and Pfizer Inc. to celebrate National Health Center Week 2008, and all of the contributions and accomplishments the Community Health Centers have made in the State of Arkansas. A celebration ceremony will recognize and salute the many health care heroes on staff at the Community Health Centers located across Arkansas.
Community Health Centers provide uninsured, underserved and low- income people with access to affordable quality primary and preventive care services. Health centers have a significant impact on our national health care system, saving between $9.9 billion and $17.6 billion ($89-159 million in Arkansas) each year by helping patients avoid the use of emergency rooms by providing primary and preventive services, as well as chronic disease management. Arkansas has 58 Community Health Centers which employ just over 700 staff, and provide affordable, comprehensive, quality health care services to 120,000 Arkansans who call Community Health Centers their Health care Home.
This years National Health Center Week theme, Americas Health Centers: Home of Americas Health Care Heroes, honors the men and women who dedicate their lives to caring for patients who rely on community-based health services. Fridays celebration ceremony will acknowledge the vital role and significant contributions of the many health center staff devoted to improving the health and welfare of underserved Arkansans. A special Health Care Hero Award will be given to one health center provider who has shown an outstanding dedication to service and excellence in quality of care.
Arkansas is fortunate to have so many dedicated health center staff committed to improving the health and well-being of others. The quality of patient care provided by our Arkansas Community Health Centers is further enhanced through its public/private partnership with Pfizer, said Sip Mouden, CEO for Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc.
Pfizer supports Community Health Centers through one of its patient assistance programs called Sharing the Care, which was launched in 1993 to make Pfizer medicines available for free to eligible health center patients. Through Sharing the Care, Pfizer partners with 15 Community Health Centers in Arkansas. In just the past five years, Pfizer has provided nearly 9.6 million prescriptions, valued at more than $780 million, to more than 2.4 million community health center patients across the United States.
Due to rising health insurance premiums and an increasing number of employers dropping health benefits, more and more of our colleagues, friends and neighbors are turning to and calling Community Health Centers their Health care Home, said Mouden. Since our partnership began more than a decade ago, Pfizer has proven to be a committed ally in our efforts to make better health an attainable goal for Arkansans who, through no fault of their own, may not otherwise get the care they need when they need it.
Pfizer is dedicated to supporting community service organizations that improve access to quality health care. We are fortunate to have partners in this mission, like Community Health Centers of Arkansas – a fixture of Arkansas health care community – and Congressman Mike Ross, Congressman Vic Snyder and Congressman Marion Berry who have persisted in their efforts to improve the health of Arkansans, said Gary Pelletier, director of Pfizer Helpful Answers. Last year, Pfizer distributed more than $2 million worth of free medicines to 8,000 patients of Arkansas Community Health Centers.
Event Specifics
This weeks celebration ceremony will take place at 12:00 p.m., August 8th at the Peabody Hotel (Salon B) located at Three Statehouse Plaza. U.S. Congressman Mike Ross and U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder will speak at the special ceremony.
The celebration ceremony will occur in conjunction with the Arkansas Primary Care Associations Annual Conference, CHCs: The Healthcare Home of Choice – A Key Solution to the Health Crisis, (August 7-8, 2008) at which the Honorable Governor Mike Beebe will be on hand to kick-off the conference on day one, and Arkansas Surgeon General, Joe Thompson, M.D., will kick-off the conference on day two. U.S. Congressman Marion Berry will provide a special Salute to Arkansas CHCs. Throughout the conference, several health center patients will share their stories on how health centers have made a difference in their quality of life.
For more information about these events, visit www.chc-ar.orgor www.healthcenterweek.org, or call 501-374-8225.
About Community Health Centers of Arkansas
Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. (CHCA), Arkansas Primary Care Association, is dedicated to increasing access to affordable, quality, and comprehensive primary and preventive health care services. CHCA represents 12 Community Health Center Organizations in Arkansas and their 58 locations.
About the National Association of Community Health Centers
Founded in 1970, NACHC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance and expand access to quality, community-responsive health care for Americas medically underserved and uninsured. In serving its mission, NACHC represents the nations network of over 1,000 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) which serve 17 million people through 6,300 sites located in all of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
About Pfizer Sharing the Care
Pfizer Sharing the Care is part of Pfizer Helpful Answers, a family of programs that helps people without prescription coverage save on many Pfizer medicines, no matter their age or income. People with limited income may even qualify to get their Pfizer medicine for free. Consumers without prescription drug coverage who need a Pfizer medicine can call the Pfizer Helpful Answers toll-free number, 1-866-706-2400, or visit the Web site, www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com. Pfizer Helpful Answers is a joint program of Pfizer Inc. and the Pfizer Patient Assistance Foundation(TM).
SOURCE Community Health Centers of Arkansas
(c) 2008 U.S. Newswire. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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