The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Blumenthal discusses impact of budget cuts on health centers
Blumenthal discusses health center funding cuts amid gridlock in Congress
TORRINGTON – U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, came to the Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington on Tuesday to discuss the potential ramifications of Congress failing to extend federal funding for health centers before Sept. 30.
The wellness center, which provides health care in Torrington and Winsted, would lose 70 percent of its funding, or $1.1 million, if the situation is not addressed, CEO Joanne Borduas said.
“If this federally qualified health center closes, Connecticut will be much the worse for it. Our health will be sacrificed, people will suffer, and we will lose jobs,” said Blumenthal. “Congress has failed to act. That is unconscionable. I am going to be fighting to make sure that this federally qualified health center, and every other one in Connecticut is fully funded with the $37 million dollars they need to continue to provide life-saving medicine and care.”
“What we have right now is political gridlock that is interfering with ordinary people having access to health care.”
U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
The Torrington center provides care for approximately 6,500 patients, Borduas said. It provides a range of treatment options, including medical, dental and behavioral services, and treats patients with a variety of insurances and income levels, including the uninsured and those on Medicare and Medicaid.
Without this funding, the center could have to cut staff and reduce services, she said.
“Cuts that are anticipated, if this funding cliff does not get fixed, could be very devastating for this community, for the patients who come here that need us,” said Borduas.
Current center patients would potentially end up in the emergency room and the hospital if the center closed, Borduas said. This would significantly raise the cost and the human impact of providing such services, Blumenthal said.
For Gina Mariano-Bunch, the center has had a significant impact on her life, and that of her family.
She said Tuesday that her husband, Jeffrey Bunch, was diagnosed with an illness during a routine screening there, saving his life. Employees at her business, Daley Moving and Storage, also receive care at the center.
There are other places to seek health care, but the doctors and staff of the center have served her and her family well, she said.
“I would never leave after the wonderful treatment we've received here,” said Mariano-Bunch, a member of the center’s Board of Directors.
The issue has become part of the larger political debate over the future of health care, Blumenthal said. He urged bipartisan support for restoring funding for health centers — there is enough money available to fund the centers for a few months, but missing the deadline has created uncertainty and confusion.
“What we have right now is political gridlock that is interfering with ordinary people having access to health care,” said Blumenthal. “The victims here of political dysfunction and gridlock in Washington are not the politicians — they're the people with illnesses and children who may become sicker, and people suffering from opioid addiction and abuse.”
Borduas said the center is able to treat the whole person through its continuum of care, and people would suffer if this is lost.
“We can do that with people — we can make them better, we can change their lives, and we can impact a whole community,” said Borduas. “And that's what we're here to do.”