Anthem to Help Ohio Community Health Centers Increase Access to COVID-19 Testing in Disadvantaged Communities
As COVID-19 cases again rise across Ohio, 20 community health centers serving many of the states most challenged communities are receiving much-needed funds to support accelerated COVID-19 testing.
As COVID-19 cases again rise across Ohio, 20 community health centers serving many of the state’s most challenged communities are receiving much-needed funds to support accelerated COVID-19 testing. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio is giving $100,000 to the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, who will disperse the funds to member health centers across the state. This is part of Anthem’s ongoing commitment to the people and communities it serves, and to provide greater access to care throughout this pandemic.
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COVID-19 testing centers across Ohio like this one at Columbus' Heart of Ohio Family Health Centers are getting a $100,000 boost from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers. (Photo: Business Wire)
Community health centers have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing healthcare to medically underserved populations in rural and urban settings. Ohio’s community health centers, 56 in total, provide affordable, quality, whole person care that includes medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision and supplemental services to more than 850,000 Ohioans. Each center is designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center/FQHC Look-Alike by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We stand with Ohio communities, as we have for more than 60 years, to keep people safe and continue to work toward healthcare equality for all,” explained Tiffany Inglis, M.D., medical director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. “As we battle with COVID-19, it’s critical that we ramp up testing across the state and nowhere is that more important than areas served by community health centers. These funds will go a long way to increasing critical access to testing.”
“During the pandemic, Ohio’s community health centers have been on the front lines protecting and providing health care to their patients, staff, and the communities they so well serve,” says OACHC Chief Operating Officer Julie DiRossi-King. “Keeping everyone safe is top priority. And the allocation of direct resources to support testing infrastructure is crucial to ensuring Ohio’s community health centers are a ‘safe place for safe care’. We are grateful for the generosity of Anthem to support so many communities across the state.”
Community health centers receiving funds through OACHC and Anthem are:
Southwest Ohio & Miami Valley
- Five Rivers Health Centers (Dayton)
- Family Health Services of Darke County (Greenville)
- Centerpoint Health (Franklin)
- Primary Health Solutions (Hamilton)
Central & Eastern Ohio
- Equitas Health (Columbus)
- Heart of Ohio Family Health Centers(Columbus)
- Fairfield Community Health Center (Lancaster)
- Community Health & Wellness Partners of Logan County (Bellefontaine)
- Knox County Community Health Center (Mt. Vernon)
- Muskingum Valley Health Centers (Zanesville)
- Ohio Hills Health Services (Barnesville)
- Shawnee Family Health Center (Portsmouth)
- Compass Community Health (Portsmouth)
Northeast Ohio
- Care Alliance (Cleveland)
- Neighborhood Family Practice (Cleveland)
- Lorain County Health & Dentistry (Elyria)
- My Community Health Center (Canton)
- Community Action Agency of Columbiana County (Columbiana)
Northwest Ohio
- Community Health Services (Freemont)
- Family Healthcare of Northwest Ohio (Van Wert)
The health centers will use the funding to support COVID-19 testing in ways as varied as the regions and populations they serve. DiRossi-King says the grants were designed to give the centers great flexibility to address needs specific to each center. Funds will be used to secure items such as portable generators, signage, personal protective equipment, materials for mobile testing, test kits, tents, portable hand washing stations, automated temperature monitoring systems and much more.
About Ohio Association of Community Health Centers
OACHC is a not-for-profit membership association supporting Ohio's 56 Community health centers across 400+ locations, including multiple mobile units, in 71 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Also known as Federally Qualified Health Centers and FQHC Look-Alikes, Community health centers are non-profit health care providers that deliver affordable, high-quality and comprehensive primary care to medically underserved populations, regardless of insurance status. They provide integrated whole person care, oftentimes providing onsite dental, behavioral, pharmacy, vision and other needed supplemental services under one roof. While each is distinct, they share one common purpose: to provide primary health care services that are coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent and community directed. Additional information can be found at http://www.ohiochc.org
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Community Insurance Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/anthemBCBS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield.
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