WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that Charles Drew Health Center and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services have been awarded federal grants:

“Nebraska’s community health centers such as Charles Drew, along with our state’s health agency, have been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This critical funding will provide more resources to keep Nebraskans healthy and safe.”

More information:

Charles Drew Health Center will receive $2.1 million through the Health Center Cluster Program. This funding can be used for purposes including creating new access points at centers or sites, expanding service provisions at existing centers, and growing primary health care services related to emerging public health issues such as COVID-19. The Nebraska DHHS will receive $2.8 million through the Ryan White Title II Formula Grants Program toward providing treatment and support services for eligible individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Senator Fischer has been a long-time advocate for community health centers. In 2019, she spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new Charles Drew Health Center in Omaha. Senator Fischer also joined a bipartisan letter to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee urging them to resolve the funding cliff community health centers are facing. She cosponsored the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence (CHIME) Act, a bill to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) for five years.