The Palmetto Health Council, Inc. (PHC) has been named to receive a $6.3 million stimulus award to expand its healthcare services in the six counties it serves and create additional employment opportunities. PHC is one of only two Georgia organizations to receive the funding.

Announced earlier this week, the stimulus award is part of the nearly $600 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) awards to support major construction and renovation projects at 85 community health centers nationwide and help networks of health centers adopt Electronic Health Records (EHR) and other Health Information Technology (HIT) systems, according to a White House press release.

Palmetto Mayor John Miller said the multi-county PHC is well-deserving of the federal award, noting its contribution to the healthcare needs of citizens of Palmetto.

“This is extremely appropriate,” MIller said. “This is a highly efficient and effective organization and they have worked hard to obtain this competitive grant.”

PHC operates is six counties that include Troup, Meriwether, Carroll, south Fulton, Pike and Lamar. PHC provides a range of services that includes women’s health, immunizations, obstetrics and gynecology, prenatal care, geriatrics, a hispanic clinic, pharmacy services and patient assistance.

The awards nationwide are expected to not only create new job opportunities in construction and health care, but also help provide care for more than half a million additional patients in underserved communities. President Obama also announced a new demonstration initiative to support the delivery of advanced primary care to Medicare beneficiaries through community health centers, the press release said.

“Together, these three initiatives – funding for construction, technology and a medical home demonstration project – won’t just save more money, and create more jobs, they’ll give more people the peace of mind of knowing that health care will be there for them and their families when they need it,” President Obama said earlier this week. “Ultimately, that’s what health reform is really about.”

To qualify for funding, a health facility must be a Federally Qualified “Community” Health Center.

The ARRA funds are the latest in a series of grants awarded to community health centers, which deliver preventive and primary care services at more than 7,500 service delivery sites around the country to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Health centers serve more than 17 million patients, about 40 percent of whom have no health insurance, according to the White House.

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