Community Health Centers: Expanding Access to Care in Underserved Areas

The C.W. Williams Community Health Center in Charlotte, North Carolina was created in 1981 when local leaders Peggy Beckwith, founder of the local Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation; Dr. John Murphy, a local dentist; and Rowe "Jack" Motley, the first African-American county Commissioner, filled out an application to create a community health center.   Mr. Motley drove to Washington, D.C. to submit their application. Their application was accepted and the C.W. Williams Community Health Center was created.

C.W. Williams Executive Director Beverly Irby, Dr Everlyn Hall-Baker, Alexia Kelley, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Dr. Joann Parris. (Photo by Dwayne Gross)

On May 3, 2012, Alexia Kelley, Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships visited the C.W. Williams Community Health Center. She shared the news that a total of $730 million was being awarded across the country to community health centers, and that C.W. Williams Center had been awarded $500,000 to create a dental clinic. Dentists are in short supply in North Carolina and ranks 47^th in dentist-to-population ratio. The new funding will greatly expand access to care.

Ashley-Care: Health Care Coverage Without Stress for a Young Adult

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from Healthcare.gov

Today, 3.1 million people are newly insured thanks to a provision in the law that enables young adults to stay on their parents’ health care plans. Ashley Drew is one of them. Ashley, a young woman from Scarborough, Maine, was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening chronic disease. She spends a lot of time in hospitals getting special IV antibiotics, respiratory therapy and physical therapy to clear her lungs and fight infections. One month in the intensive care unit cost her about $144,000; her last stay was for three months.

Ashley was diagnosed with end-stage lung disease and waited on two transplant lists for more than 500 days. She recently successfully underwent a double lung transplant.

Because of the health care law, the Affordable Care Act, young adults under the age of 26 may be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance, and for Ashley, this has made all the difference. Staying on her parents’ insurance allowed her to pursue her education to become a music teacher and to study instrumental conducting – at a pace she could handle with her health condition – and not worry about how to make sure she had coverage. 

“The fact that the Affordable Care Act is in effect, it’s amazing, because it’s horrible to have to worry and stress about your health and, in my case, something that everyone takes for granted: breathing,” Ashley says. “Everyone deserves to breathe, but unfortunately without health insurance that’s not a reality for some people.”

Without the security that staying on her parents’ insurance plan provides, Ashley says she would be spending all her time trying to figure out how to come up with the money for her treatment.

Ashley believes the benefits under the law are important for people who don’t have her immediate health concerns as well. “I think the Affordable Care Act brings peace of mind to people all over this country because you don’t know when something’s going to happen,” she says. “Just to know that you have health insurance … You’re not going to lose your car and you’re not going to end up homeless because you got sick.”

If you have a story like Ashley’s, share it at HealthCare.gov/MyCare and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn more about how the Affordable Care Act is helping Young Adults: For more information:

• Abby-Care: Health Coverage for Young Adults Under 26
• StevenCare: Insurance for Young Adults Under Age 26
• Carol-Care and Justin-Care: Extending Coverage on a Parent’s Health Plan

Dori Salcido is the Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.