Gov. Chris Sununu and neighboring Vermont Gov. Phil Scott are urging Congress to reauthorize funding for the states’ community health centers.
Failing to do so would result in the loss of $16 million for New Hampshire alone.
In a joint letter addressed to the leaders of Congress, Sununu and Scott describe the value of these centers and the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, to thousands of residents in their states and they stressed the importance of restoring the funding quickly.
Kris McCracken is CEO of Manchester's Community Health Center, the largest in the state. She says, with the funding uncertainty, her organization is facing staff cuts of up to 25 people, which would severely limit the quality of services.
“So you are going to be providing less access, you are going to have increased Emergency Room utilization and you are going to be having people getting the most expensive kind of care," McKraken said.
Some of the services these centers provide include behavioral health, medication assisted treatment, case management, interpretation, transportation services, care coordination and nutrition.
Community health centers in New Hampshire are at risk of losing 70 percent of their federal funding, if the dollars are not reauthorized.
