Welcome to National Health Center Week

Secretary Sebelius Announces National Health Center Week!



The second week of August each year is dedicated to recognizing the service and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless and Public Housing Health Centers in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost-effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people in the U.S. Last year's commemoration was special because 2010 also marked the 45th Anniversary of the creation of the Health Centers Program.

"Celebrating America's Health Centers: Serving Locally, Leading Nationally" is our theme for National Health Center Week 2011. This theme highlights the more than 45 year record of Health Centers in providing affordable, high quality, cost-effective health care to all people, regardless of ability to pay. National Health Center Week 2011 also provides an opportunity to focus on the progress we have made towards fulfilling the goal of our "Access for All America" plan to provide a health care home to 30 million patients by 2015. Each year Health Center Week also sets aside three days to focus on special populations who are often left outside of the mainstream health care system. In 2011 we observed Tuesday, August 9th as Health Care in Public Housing Day, followed by Health Care for the Homeless Day observed on Wednesday, August 10th, and Farmworker Health Day recognized on Thursday, August 11th.

America's Health Centers now serve over 20 million people (including 925,000 farmworkers and nearly 940,000 people who are homeless) in 7,000 communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

This year again, we invite you to join in a weeklong celebration, August 7th - 13th, 2011 to focus the public spotlight on America's Health Centers and their work to make sure that everyone who needs a health care home can have one at a health center.

We want to thank all of our sponsors for their generous support for National Health Center Week 2011.  Thanks to our sponsors Health Center Week and the hundreds of local events surrounding it will achieve a record level of visibility and activity in every state in America this year. Learn how to become a sponsor.