Press Releases

HOLYOKE, MA - Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means visited Holyoke Health Center on Tuesday during National Health Center Week. Holyoke Health Center CEO Jay Breines was on hand to give Congressman Neal a tour of the campus, including their drive-thru coronavirus testing site, just one of the implementations the Health Center was able to make thanks to almost $2.3 million in federal resources to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

“Community health centers are an indispensable and critical part of our health system,” said Congressman Neal. “As we continue to see the economic devastation from the pandemic, we cannot ignore the importance of health centers in the lives of so many who live in underserved communities and are underserved, uninsured, or marginalized in other ways. I worked with colleagues to ensure the CARES and Heroes Acts prioritized funding to support health centers, but we also need a long-term funding solution to ensure adequate resources to meet the needs of communities across the United States. We must continue to tout and protect the role of health centers across the nation, like this great one here in Holyoke.”

“Today’s visit by Congressman Neal is a great opportunity to demonstrate how The Holyoke Health Center has been able to use federal resources to quickly respond to needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Breines. “His leadership in crafting programs like the CARES ACT recognized that community health centers are vital to meeting the needs of our communities.   Our Drive-Thru COVID Testing Program is just one example of what we have been able to put into place in service to our patients.  Congressman Neal has recognized how health care workers have responded to the pandemic and today’s visit will offer additional insights that will help move additional resources to the front lines and to community health centers in particular.  We are grateful for Congressman Neal’s interest and support in continuing to work on behalf of our health center’s needs.

More information on the Holyoke Health Center and their COVID-19 resources can be found HERE.

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