Dr. Ruiz Announces Area Health Centers Included in Federal COVID Vaccine Program

Palm Desert, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) announced that Inland Behavioral Health Services and Borrego Community Health Foundation have been included in the Federal Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program, which gives Federally Qualified Health Centers direct allocations of vaccines, is aimed at ensuring underserved communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are equitably vaccinated.

Dr. Ruiz has successfully advocated for more vaccines to area FQHCs. Following his call for more local health centers to be included in the distribution program, Riverside University Health System and Neighborhood Healthcare, which operate clinics throughout the county, were added to the program.

"I am excited to announce that Borrego Community Health and Inland Behavioral Health Services have been included in the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program," said Dr. Ruiz. "Every eligible resident of my district who wants a vaccine must be able to get one, and this announcement is a great step toward that goal. As a physician and public health expert, I will continue to aggressively advocate for more vaccines for my constituents."

As vaccine distribution has continued increasing nationwide, the hardest hit communities in medically underserved areas have not been getting the vaccines they need. Because of this inequity in distribution, Congressman Ruiz urged the state of California, the federal government, and private companies to prioritize these areas.

Dr. Ruiz has written to CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Walmartpharmacies urging them to prioritize hard-hit, medically underserved communities like those in California's 36th district as they expand the number of locations offering vaccinations.

Background:

HRSA-funded health centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver affordable, accessible, quality, and cost-effective primary health care. Nationwide, nearly 1,400 HRSA-funded health centers operate approximately 13,000 sites, providing primary and preventive care on a sliding fee scale to nearly 30 million patients each year. Over 91% of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and nearly 63% are racial/ethnic minorities. Health centers across the nation are playing vital roles in supporting local community responses to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Prior to today, 250 health centers were invited to this program, and include those that serve a large volume of the following disproportionately affected populations: individuals experiencing homelessness, public housing residents, migrant/seasonal agricultural workers, or patients with limited English proficiency.

Today, an additional 700 health centers were invited to participate in the next phase of the program, including Inland Behavior Health Services and Borrego Community Health Foundation, both of which serve rural, medically underserved populations.

To view a list of the health centers participating in or invited to join the program please visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/coronavirus/health-center-program.

To locate a HRSA-funded health center, visit: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.

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