Community health centers throughout Virginia are being forced to close their doors or cancel patient appointments due a federal funding freeze initiated by the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget.
U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner have reached out to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the delays in accessing funding for community health centers.
A Jan. 20 executive order by Donald Trump that suspended all federal grant and loan funding was eventually rescinded, in part due to a court order blocking the move. The funding in question is appropriated by Congress, and the governing body has not approved any changes in disbursements, according to the senators.
Despite the court order, half of the state’s community health centers remain cut off entirely from funding leaving many locations scrambling to meet the needs of its patients in rural communities.
After meeting with health centers this week, the senators report there is still widespread confusion and uncertainty, and the Trump Administration hasn’t provided any clear direction to ease concerns.
In Virginia, there are 31 federally-qualified health centers with more than 200 locations. Locally, there are locations in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Charlottesville, Albemarle County and Rockbridge County.
Several centers within the Capital Area Health Network closed or consolidated operations earlier this week, according to reporting from VPM.
The non-profit centers offer an array of services including health, dental, behavioral health and substance abuse services to people who receive Medicaid or Medicare or are underinsured or uninsured.
The senators, in a letter to acting Health and Human Services Secretary Dorothy Fink, said health centers are experiencing “significant delays” in accessing funding. The letter reiterated that these centers “rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open.”
Health centers have reported delays in purchasing needed equipment, providers inquiring about the future of their jobs, difficulties meeting payroll and pauses in hiring.
Health centers across the country are “experiencing panic,” said Kaine, Warner and 20 additional colleagues.
“For countless hardworking individuals and families in these regions, these health centers are not just a place for medical care—they are a lifeline,” said said Tracy Douglas, CEO of the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. “People rely on them to stay healthy so they can work, care for their families, and live full, productive lives.
“It is absolutely imperative that we ensure the continued operation of these vital health centers to protect the well-being of our communities and our nation.”
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Crystal Graham
