Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced awards of approximately $67 million to health centers in the US, including $19 million made available by the Affordable Care Act, to establish 32 new health service delivery sites.

The new sites will increase access to preventive and primary health care to more than 130,000 additional people.

Additionally, $48 million will be awarded to nearly 1,200 of the nation’s health centers to support ongoing operations and quality improvement activities.

Kathleen Sebelius

“Health centers have a proven track record of success in providing high quality health care to those who need it most,” Sebelius stated in a press release. “New health center sites in some of the neediest communities in the country will provide access to health care for individuals and families who otherwise may have lacked access to high quality, affordable and comprehensive primary care services.”

Approximately 1,200 health centers operate nearly 9,000 service delivery sites that provide care to more than 21 million patients in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. Health centers are instrumental to the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act by linking individuals to coverage through outreach and enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace.