Shaheen, Hassan & Pappas Announce Nearly $1 Million for White Mountain Community Health Center to Respond to COVID-19 & Bolster Health Care Services

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that White Mountain Community Health Center will receive $995,250 in American Rescue Plan funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funding will boost the state’s response and mitigation efforts against the spread of COVID-19 and enhance health care services in the North Country.

For the first time, the facility is receiving these funds through HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program. White Mountain Community Health Center is classified as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-a-Like facility, which are health centers that provide essential health care services to underserved communities, but do not normally receive grant funds through HRSA’s Health Center Program (HCP). Senator Shaheen has been a strong advocate for making look-alike facilities such as White Mountain eligible to receive emergency COVID-19 funding through the HCP. Last year, Shaheen sent a letter to Senate leadership underscoring the role community health centers have played in New Hampshire’s response to the pandemic and calling for emergency funding for community health centers to be made flexible so that look-alike facilities can also qualify for financial support.

“Facilities like White Mountain Community Health Center have been critical to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing North Country communities with access to lifesaving COVID-19 testing and treatment, as well as critical routine care,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m very pleased that White Mountain Community Health Center has been awarded these American Rescue Plan dollars through the Health Center Program, which has been a top priority for me during the pandemic. I’ll continue to support our community health centers as we get to the other side of this crisis.”

“This American Rescue Plan funding will provide White Mountain Community Health Center with the crucial support that they need to help keep patients in the Mount Washington Valley safe amid the pandemic and save lives,” Senator Hassan said. “I will keep working to ensure that community health centers across New Hampshire have what they need to continue delivering high-quality care to Granite Staters, as well as have the resources to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its variants.”

“New Hampshire’s community health centers have played a critical role in our response to the pandemic since the very beginning of this public health crisis,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “I’m glad to see that these American Rescue Plan funds are heading to White Mountain Community Health Center to ensure that it has the resources needed to continue to combat COVID-19 and allow local Granite Staters to get the vital care and services they need.”

“Our front line workers have been through a very difficult and trying time during this pandemic and we want to express our thanks for the support in obtaining this award. This will help us to recover our losses incurred and go a long way to help care for our community,” said Ken “JR” Porter, Executive Director of White Mountain Community Health Center.