opinion

Bond and other health centers critical to community care

August 9-15 is designated as National Health Center Week. It’s a time to celebrate the positive impact that community health centers have on the well-being of a community. It is a time for raising the awareness of the needs that exist in our communities and the high cost of failure to provide primary care and preventive health.

And it is also a time for legislators and policy makers to reflect, to look their constituents in the eye without the rancor of politics and rhetoric, and to observe the true health care needs of their communities.

National Health Center Week has been celebrated for more than 30 years, which is about the same length of time Bond Community Health Center has been serving the health needs of the residents of Leon and other counties. At Bond, we care for more than 8,000 patients every year, regardless of income or insurance status. Many patients travel as far as 70 miles — each way — to receive primary care services at Bond.

This is not unusual for CHCs. Nationally, there are 44 million uninsured people and another 56 million who, although they may have health insurance, have limited access to affordable primary care services. One in every 15 people living in the United States depends on health center services. In Florida, approximately 500,000 of the 800,000 uninsured residents receive care at community health centers like Bond.

Community health centers deliver high quality, cost effective, accessible care while serving as critical economic engines, helping to power local economies. Bond employs 85 health care workers and support staff who reside and spend locally. They are most significant in ensuring that we provide the continuum needed to improve the overall health of the community.

In my view, the support services rendered — case management, transportation, mobile health care, on-site pharmacy, dental services and more — separate the community health center from a traditional doctor’s office by serving as a convenient, all-inclusive, safe place for its users. Bond Community Health Center and others like it should be cherished by their communities and liberally funded by stakeholders in order to maximize their full potential.

A special invitation is extended to all to join Bond CHC as it celebrates National Health Center Week. For a schedule of events and more information, contact Shelia Morris at 576-4073, ext. 252 or smorris@bondchc.com.

Dr. Temple Robinson previously served as the Chief Medical Officer and an Internist at the Bond Community Health Center for 11 years prior to being named CEO in 2015.