Federal funds to boost COVID vaccines at medical centers

The Wellness Plan Medical Centers have received $3.5 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act as part of an effort to meet the rise in health care needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The centers — two in Pontiac, one in Oak Park and two in Detroit — will use the funding to support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations and to enable Federally Qualified Health Care Centers like TWP to deliver preventive and primary health care services to under- and uninsured people across America.

“We are thankful to the

Biden Administration for listening to voices from FQHCs like ours as well as the leadership from the National Association of Community Health Centers that helped to bring attention to the needs of the underinsured in Michigan and across America,” said TWP CEO Anthony King.

The funding, approved by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on March 18, authorized more than $6.1 billion to support 1,377 health centers nationwide – including about 40 in Michigan.

Nationally, more than 60 percent of health center patients are members of racial or ethnic minorities, and more than 91 percent of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below poverty levels.

TWP provides primary care, pediatrics, family medicine, dental services and pharmacy services to more than 80,000 patient visits annually.

TWP gained access to the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act earlier this month and is in the process of evaluating needs at its five centers across metro Detroit to determine the best and most effective use of the funding.

“We are considering a number of capital improvement projects that would improve and expand the quality of health services we are able to provide across our five centers,” King said. “We also have already expanded our vaccination program from two centers to all of our locations.”