A Call for Sustainable & Modern Funding in Community Health

By Marisol Euceda Director of Marketing and Communications

September 30 each year marks an important date for community health centers (CHCs) like CCI, closing the federal fiscal year and charting a path for the next. Unfortunately, it’s also a date rife with anxiety and uncertainty from not knowing where we stand.

CHCs rely on federal funding for much of our work. In 2022, more than 30% of CCI’s budget encompassed funding from the government. That’s always been the case for us. In fact, that’s been the case for every CHC dating to our early years as a movement in the 1960s.

Community health and federal funding go hand in hand, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s an investment in health equity. Even more, it’s a show of confidence in this movement, encouraging CHCs to accept anyone in need of care and worry less about the capacity or resources to do so.

But there are a couple of problems that we have to address. First, funding has never been guaranteed. It’s dependent on reauthorization, which itself depends on consensus within an increasingly divided Congress. Second, the amount earmarked is not keeping up with the times. Although the number of dollars has increased over the years, there’s no accounting for inflation, causing headaches for CHCs already balancing a tight budget amid rising costs.

These two obstacles, coupled with an increasing demand for our services, put CHCs everywhere in a precarious position that requires evaluating and reimagining funding.

More Questions Than Answers

Passionate CHC advocates work publicly and behind the scenes to ensure funding is a mainstay in the annual federal budget. So far, so good.

CHC funding is a uniquely bipartisan issue that has long enjoyed support from across the aisle. However, it’s at the mercy of a larger budgetary discussion that can quickly become politicized, as witnessed this year. We all heard that dreaded “s” word: shutdown. Talk of a shutdown may make great political drama and riveting headlines, but it can upend plans for many, especially those who visit a CHC.

Take WIC, for example. More than 30,000 neighbors counted on CCI’s WIC program for breastfeeding counseling and nutrition support in 2022. Research proves that WIC is remarkably effective in keeping families healthy and nourished.

WIC funds are discretionary, which means that if a federal budget doesn’t pass, the program doesn’t receive funding, and services essentially halt for every agency. Our WIC program could continue uninterrupted for a week or two without additional funding, but there’s a limit. Eventually, we’d lack the resources necessary to operate at the same level. The consequences would be dire; think hungry families and financial debt.

More Demand Than Dollars

CHCs routinely struggle with underfunding despite a growing service population. Given the number of patients and participants served, the results achieved, and the taxpayer money saved, one would presume that CHCs have everything they need to thrive. But without inflation-adjusted assistance, we’re really just getting by.

CHCs like CCI have proven efficacy for decades, though I think the last three years have been extraordinary. Our movement was a lifeline for historically underserved neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic. And not just for direct services, either, but for supplemental resources and public health updates, as well. How about the mpox outbreak in the summer of 2022? RSV affecting children and seniors right now? Whether crisis or checkup, it’s the CHCs who are always there to care.

And you can’t discuss the value of CHCs without focusing on the clinicians and support personnel serving the vision. The high appeal for their skills within the health care sector means they could work anywhere, yet they’ve chosen to dedicate their careers to the movement. That could change if they continue to find themselves in funding limbo. Even the most committed would likely seek new opportunities with greater job security rather than deal with annual whispers of shutdowns, service interruptions, and defunding. Open vacancies will mean closed opportunities for patients and participants—and health outcomes will suffer accordingly.

THE PATH WE’LL TAKE TOGETHER

The era of hoping and waiting for Congressional support must end. Of course, I’m not calling for the end of funding itself; CHCs need those resources to serve the millions of families who visit us for care each year. Instead, I’m suggesting a new perspective on funding, one that values sustainability and certainty. A given, not a gift. It’s not out of reach.

HERE’S HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE IT

First, you’ll hear CCI talk a lot about voting going forward. We won’t be about endorsements or choosing sides, though. Rather, we’ll be about empowering our patients and participants to recognize the power contained in their vote. Helping them understand that they must exercise their rights to realize their interests. We’ll also remind everyone in our community that

We’ll also call on your enthusiasm for our mission to help advocate for guaranteed funding for CHCs and other initiatives that will improve public health. That could mean signing a petition or sending a persuasive email. In each case, your representatives will be eager to hear how passionate you are about community health. We hope you will join us in this campaign that leads to healthier, more empowered families in our neighborhoods.

But the most important thing you can do as an ally in this shared cause? Become a monthly CCI supporter.

Scan here or visit cciweb.org/donate to join our mission today.