Leaders from several health centers in Western New York, including Joanne Haefner, president and CEO of Neighborhood Health Center, collaborated with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and local representatives at two events leading up to National Health Center Week–a press conference at Evergreen Health on July 28 and a legislative breakfast at Jericho Road Community Health Center on July 29. 

National Health Center Week, August 3-7, is an opportunity to increase awareness of America’s 1,512 community health centers, and highlight the commitment and passion of health center patients, staff, board members, and supporters.

Community health centers provide healthcare for 52 million people in the United States.

Over $1 trillion has been cut from healthcare spending since last July when the “One Big Beautiful Bill” was enacted, specifically targeting the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. More than 470,000 people were impacted by increased healthcare costs in New York State.

At the July 28 event, Jeffries addressed the impact of recent federal healthcare cuts. “Life has become too expensive. Healthcare, of course, [is] inaccessible in ways that should not be the case in the wealthiest country in the history of the world,” Jeffries said.

U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy, who represents New York's 26th Congressional District, was Jeffries’ host for his visit to Buffalo. He discussed the human cost of losing access to healthcare, including, "dying from preventable conditions and being left to navigate devastating consequences of losing access to healthcare.”

The July 29 breakfast at Jericho Road was an opportunity for Western New York’s elected leaders to learn more about the region’s health centers and discuss the challenges they’re facing. Leaders from Neighborhood Health Center, Evergreen, Universal Primary Care, The Chautauqua Center, and Trillium Health all participated.

We thank our representatives for their continued support and advocacy for health centers.