SHAHEEN ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $2.6 MILLION FOR AMMONOOSUC COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

(Washington, D.C.)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen today announced that Ammonoosuc Community Health Services (ACHS) in Littleton has been awarded $2,641,157 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for construction and facility investment.

"As more families in New Hampshire struggle to afford health care in this economy, community health centers are playing an even more critical role in keeping our state healthy," said Shaheen. "This funding will help uninsured and underinsured families get the care they need by allowing Ammonoosuc Community Health Services to expand the affordable health care services they provide. We must make health care more affordable and accessible, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to pass a health care bill that will help us achieve our goals."

"I have a hard time expressing how delighted we all are with being provided with these funds.  As we continue to realize an increase in demand for service these funds will enable ACHS to increase access and bring new efficiencies to our provision of integrated health care to the 1 in 3 residents of the 26 towns we serve," said Edward D. Shanshala II, Executive Director and CEO of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services. "These funds will provide a much needed expansion and renovation to our ACHS - Littleton care delivery site, and will enable us to continue to provide even more high quality patient outcomes."

"We are enormously grateful for these vital federal funds targeted to needy communities to improve and renovate their facilities in order to serve more patients in need," said Tess Kuenning, Executive Director of the Bi-State Primary Care Association.

These funds will allow Ammonoosuc Community Health Services to add exam rooms with state of the art equipment enhancing quality of care, efficiencies, and outcomes; consolidate behavioral health, pharmacy and other services into one location; and add kiosks in waiting area and patient exam rooms enabling greater access and use of electronic health records.

Across the state, more than 107,000 otherwise under- or uninsured people are served by community health centers with 31 sites in nine of New Hampshire's ten counties. New Hampshire's Community Health Centers employ more than 800 people statewide, often as a major employer in their area, and contribute more than $61 million into their local economies.

Community health centers play a key role in serving uninsured Americans nationwide. One in every 19 people living in the U.S. now relies on a clinic funded by HHS for primary care.