The office of California 18th District Rep. Zoe Lofgren announced this week that the San Benito Health Foundation will receive $1,385,218 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for healthcare centers in San Benito County.
“Affordable and accessible health care is vital, and Federally Qualified Health Centers like San Benito Health Foundation, help make that possible,” Lofgren said in an April 12 press release. “SBHF plays a crucial role in San Benito County, and I’m proud to announce this federal funding. The need to sustain and expand health care programs is especially dire in San Benito County, and I will continue working to ensure options are available for all of our neighbors in CA-18.”
The San Benito Health Foundation is a federally funded community health center that has served the San Benito County and surrounding areas since 1975. Community health centers are funded through the Health Resources and Service Administration’s Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC). The BPHC funds over 1,400 health centers nationwide which provide medical, dental, behavioral and other health services.
These centers are community-based and serve more than 30 million people, according to the HRSA. The San Benito Health Foundation is run by a board of directors of community stakeholders.
Lofgren has previously addressed concerns with San Benito County’s healthcare system and has made efforts to help Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital move through its financial emergency in the last year.
“The need to sustain and expand health care programs is especially crucial in San Benito County, and I will continue working to ensure options are available for all of our neighbors,” Lofgren said.
