Montana Community Health Centers Receive More than $500,000, Thanks to Tester

$520,000 for Health Center Controlled Networks, Montana Primary Care Association

(Big Sandy, Mont.) – As part of his ongoing effort to deliver affordable health care to all Montanans, U.S. Senator Jon Tester has secured more than $500,000 for community health centers across the state.

The $520,000 grant-administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-will help cover operating costs for community health centers across Montana, providing funding for essentials like electronic medical records, telehealth, and state-wide health information systems.

“In many parts of Montana, community health centers are often the only health care providers that folks can rely on,” Tester said. “These resources mean that folks across the state will continue to have access to the critical, affordable health care they need and deserve.”

Tester led the charge to secure these resources after the Community Health Center Fund expired in September 2017 and lapsed until February 2018, when Tester was able to broker a deal to secure two years’ worth of funding. He was the only member of Montana’s delegation to vote for this funding. In January, Tester introduced the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act, which mandates annual increases in community health center funding for the next five years.

Tester recently helped secure more than $1 million for the Glacier Community Health Center in Cut Bank and $4.4 million for RiverStone Health in Billings. In March, Tester received the ‘Distinguished Community Health Champion Award’ for the second year in a row because of his work defending community health centers across the country.

Montana is home to more than 60 community health center delivery sites that serve over 100,000 patients a year. A timeline of Tester’s work on behalf of Montana’s community health centers is available HERE.