State To Get 4 More Federal Health Centers

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Health officials say more than $2 million in federal grants will fund the establishment of four more community health centers in Oklahoma. <br/><br/>The Health Resources and Services

Tuesday, August 28th 2007, 2:39 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Health officials say more than $2 million in federal grants will fund the establishment of four more community health centers in Oklahoma.

The Health Resources and Services Administration announced grant recipients during a recent meeting of the National Association of Community Health Clinics in Dallas. Alfalfa, Sequoyah and Comanche counties in Oklahoma each received $600,000 grants to start clinics.

Also, Oklahoma Community Health Centers Inc. received a $270,800 grant and will work with the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine to establish an inner-city health center.

``It's not seed money; it will be ongoing money,'' said Greta Shepherd-Stewart, the executive director of the Oklahoma Primary Care Association.

She said that for the clinics to succeed, about three times the amount of the awards would need to be raised.

``We are confident the sites will go a long way toward decreasing the number of individuals without a medical home ... (The awards are) definitely part of the solution to a seamless system of care in the state of Oklahoma,'' she said. ``All Oklahomans deserve health care. It's a right and not a privilege.''

She said that last year, more than 98,000 people were served by federally funded community health clinics. The new clinics will bring the number in Oklahoma to 25.