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Sanders highlights expanding reach of dental care provided byVermont’s community health centersPosted By Press Release On April 25, 2011 @ 9:57 pm In Press Releases | No Comments

For Immediate Release:April 25, 2011

Contact:Michael Briggs(202) 224-5141

BURLINGTON, Vt., April 25 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today met with health careproviders to discuss the future of community health centers, which provide primary care,dental care, low-cost prescription drugs and mental health counseling to more than 110,000Vermonters.

Sanders emphasized that the number of Vermonters receiving dental care through thecenters has grown to roughly 20,000 people. “One of the areas that I have long-worriedabout is dental access in Vermont. The reality is thousands of Vermont children and adultshave been unable to obtain the dental care they need,” said

Sanders, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health Care. “While we still have along way to go, there is no question that we are making real progress.”

In 2002, for example, there was just one community health center dental practice inVermont. The Island Pond location served about 1,000 Vermonters. This year, an eighthdental practice, located at the community health center in Morrisville, further broadened thereach of the dental network that has grown to more than 19,000 Vermonters. A ninth dentalpractice will be opening soon in Ludlow. Aside from the initial Island Pond location, dentalservices are available in the health centers in Hardwick, Plainfield, Richford, Rutland, and thetwo sites in Burlington.

Sanders also emphasized the successes in bringing dental services into Vermont’s schools. “In2002, there was one school-based dental program in Bennington serving about 150 students,”he said. “Today, Vermont has four school-based dental programs and a dental van programthat serve more than 2,200 students.”

The school-based programs are in Bennington, Burlington, Swanton, and Tunbridge. Thedental clinic opened by the Franklin County community health center at Missisquoi ValleyUnion Middle and High School in Swanton is unique because it is open to the community —not just students.

“I am very happy to report that, in Vermont, over the last nine years, we have made someextraordinary progress in expanding primary health care access in our state through thegrowth of federal qualified community health centers,” said Sanders.

The reach of the community health care centers has been greatly expanded during the lastdecade. Now, roughly one in five Vermonters obtain care through the network of communityhealth centers in the state.

Despite pressure to cut funds in Washington, Sanders said there is broad understanding that

investing in community health centers is a good use of funds, in part, because preventivecare avoids expensive trips to the emergency room. “I think a lot of Republicans understandthat when you put money into health centers, you’re saving money,” Sanders said.

In 2002, there were two federally qualified health care centers in Vermont, in Burlington andthe Northeast Kingdom. Combined, those two centers had six sites serving about 14,000Vermonters. Today, there are eight community health centers organizations with 40 satellitesites that serve more than 110,000 Vermonters.

Open to everyone, the centers care for patients covered by Medicaid, Medicare and privateinsurance, as well as those who have no insurance. Payments are on a sliding scale, so peoplewith low or moderate incomes can afford the services.

The federally qualified health centers, which have been championed by Sanders, have beengreatly expanded in Vermont in recent years. Following the creation of health centers inBurlington and the Northeast Kindgom were: NoTCH in Franklin County in 2002; four yearslater, in 2006, CHCs of Rutland Region and Little Rivers Health Care in Bradford wereestablish; the Plainfield Health Center was created the following year in 2007; the CommunityHealth Services of Lamoille Valley was established in 2008; and Springfield Medical Systemsopened in 2009.

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