BILL NUMBER: HR 60 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 8, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Arambula
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen,
Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chau,
Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Dodd,
Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines,
Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo
Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez,
Gonzalez, Gordon, Hadley,
Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer,
Kim, Lackey, Levine,
Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein,
Mathis, Mayes, Medina,
Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian,
Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson,
Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas,
Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone,
Thurmond, Ting, Wagner,
Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood
)
AUGUST 1, 2016
Relative to National Health Center Week.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, Community clinics and health centers are at the core of
the nation's health care safety net, serving anyone and everyone who
walks through their doors, regardless of ability to pay, and are the
medical homes for more than 23 million needy and uninsured patients;
and
WHEREAS, According to multiple government, academic, and private
studies, community clinics and health centers have proven to be the
most cost-effective health care providers in the field, saving nearly
$24 billion annually by keeping patients out of costlier health care
settings, such as emergency rooms; and
WHEREAS, Community clinics and health centers are private,
nonprofit corporations. The majority of their boards of directors, by
law, must be their patients and consumers, and their services are
funded primarily through public programs such as Medicaid, federal
grants, and state initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Community clinics and health centers employ more than
6,590 medical, dental, and behavioral health providers as part of a
multidisciplinary clinical team designed to treat the whole patient
by coordinating care and managing chronic disease, while at the same
time reducing unnecessary, avoidable, and wasteful use of health
resources; and
WHEREAS, Community clinics and health centers in California and
throughout the nation have led the movement for a fair and equitable
health care system, treating medically underserved populations in
medically underserved areas by reaching into the inner city and the
most rural and geographically isolated communities; and
WHEREAS, In California, nearly six million low-income families,
children, seniors, women, non-English speakers, people of color, and
homeless individuals currently receive comprehensive primary care
services at over 1,100 community clinics and health centers
throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, Primary care at California community clinics and health
centers involves a wide range of services, including preventive care,
chronic disease management, well child, dental, pharmaceutical,
immunization, mental health, substance abuse, breast cancer,
nutrition, family planning, and pregnancy-related services, all of
which are provided with particular sensitivity to language and
cultural competency; and
WHEREAS, California's community clinics and health centers have
the major responsibility of providing health care services to the
state's most disadvantaged families and individuals, and are serving
over three million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal, as well as two
million persons who remain uninsured; and
WHEREAS, California's and the nation's community clinics and
health centers deserve to be recognized and acknowledged for their
valuable services to their communities and the state, their
cost-effective delivery of primary health care services to the most
vulnerable populations, and their leadership in working for fair and
equitable health care reform; and
WHEREAS, National Health Center Week offers the opportunity to
recognize America's health centers, their dedicated staff and board
members, and all those responsible for the continued success and
growth of the program since its creation over 50 years ago. During
National Health Center Week, the legacy of America's health centers
and their vital role in shaping the future of America's health care
system is celebrated; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly hereby joins in proclaiming the week of August 7 to August
13, 2016, inclusive, as National Health Center Week in California;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.