PRESS RELEASE
AAPCHO Applauds President Biden’s $10 Billion Investment to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines and Support Community Health Centers
March 25, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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WASHINGTON – The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) today released the following statement applauding the Biden administration’s announcement of $10 billion investment to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines and improve vaccine confidence in communities of color and other high-risk communities. Today’s announcement includes more than $6 billion from the American Rescue Plan into community health centers to expand access to vaccines in underserved communities, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Jeffrey B. Caballero, AAPCHO’s executive director, said:
“Community health centers are central to the Biden administration’s efforts to reach communities of color and underserved patients because of their longstanding relationships and trust within their communities. AAPCHO applauds President Biden for quickly releasing funds from the American Rescue Plan to enhance health centers’ capacity to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, outreach to their communities, and provide culturally appropriate care to patients in a language they can understand. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are among communities hardest hit by the pandemic, and these investments will help our communities heal and ensure that patients with limited English proficiency have the language access assistance they need.
“It is essential that health centers have the resources they need to most effectively communicate with community members in order to boost confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and deliver high-quality preventive and primary health care services. AAPCHO looks forward to building on this progress and working with the Biden administration, our members, and other partners to ensure that health centers and community-based organizations have the tools they need to recover from this pandemic better and improve health equity for all communities.
“AAPCHO and our member health centers are grateful for the continued support, as it provides hope during this tumultuous time. We are a step closer to health equity because community health center providers and community-based organizations can provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care to those who need them most.”
The Biden administration’s announcement includes:
- Investment of $6 billion in community health centers to expand access to vaccines in underserved communities, deliver preventive and primary health care services to people at a higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers’ operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units.
- Expands eligibility for vaccines to all patients served by community health centers, including frontline essential workers and all persons 16 years and older with high-risk medical conditions.
- Investment of $3 billion to strengthen vaccine confidence through partnerships between state, territorial, and tribal public health departments and community-based organizations
- Investment of $330 million in community health workers
For more information on the Biden administration’s announcement, view the White House Fact Sheet here. To learn more about Healthy Resource and Services Administration funding allocations to community health centers, view American Rescue Plan Act Awards Map here.
About AAPCHO
AAPCHO is a national association of community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For more information on AAPCHO, please visit www.aapcho.org.
Contact
Kristine Cecile Alarcon, (510) 671-5054, kalarcon@aapcho.org