Miller-Meeks Announces Iowa Clinics to Enter COVID-19 Vaccine Program
OTTUMWA, I.A.—Today, March 12th, 2021, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) announced that Proteus Inc. in Iowa City, IA will be invited to join the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program over the next six weeks. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched this program to directly allocate COVID-19 vaccine to HRSA-supported health centers to ensure that our nation's underserved communities and those disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are equitably vaccinated.
In February, Miller-Meeks joined the entire Iowa delegation in a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging the inclusion of Iowa's federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) in their direct vaccination partnership program.
“I am thrilled to see that Proteus Inc. was selected to participate in this critical vaccination program. As the former Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I know the crucial role that our FQHCs play in supporting all Iowans, particularly underserved and vulnerable populations,” said Miller-Meeks. “The next step is to get more of our great community health centers involved, including Community Health Care in Davenport, Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa in Burlington, and River Hills Community Health Center in Ottumwa. I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner with our delegation and the Administration to get vaccines to all Iowans.”
“I am delighted that Congresswoman Miller-Meeks and the Iowa Congressional delegation were able to be instrumental in getting community health centers designated as vaccination sites,” said Lynelle Diers, the Clinical Director of Wallepo County Public Health. “This is tremendously beneficial as the more vaccine doses total get into arms, supports what we do as a county public health agency.”
“Federally Qualified Health Centers are a vital resource for quality, affordable care in underserved communities across Iowa. These centers provide primary and preventive care to some of our most vulnerable populations, including those that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,"said Edith Parker, Dean of the University of Iowa College of Public Health. "Including community health centers in the vaccine distribution program is an important step toward ensuring equity in our response to this public health crisis and I am very glad that Community Health Centers locally have been granted access to vaccines."
Proteus Inc. is among the 700 health centers invited to participate in the next phase of the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program that provides services to rural populations, along with serving low-income and minority patients. HRSA-funded health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver affordable, accessible, quality, and cost-effective primary health care. Nationwide, nearly 1,400 HRSA-funded health centers operate approximately 13,000 sites, providing primary and preventive care on a sliding fee scale to nearly 30 million patients each year. Over 91% of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and nearly 63% are racial/ethnic minorities. Health centers across the nation are playing vital roles in supporting local community responses to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
To view a list of the health centers participating in or invited to join the program please visit, clickhere.
To locate an HRSA-funded health center, visit https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.
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