Indiana Health Centers Get Federal Funds

INDIANAPOLIS -- Eight health centers around Indiana are receiving over $7 million in federal money to improve access to care for medically underserved Hoosiers. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Infrastructure Improvement Award Program is awarding the Indiana healthcare centers federal money to help upgrade facilities and operations.

These centers provide primary health care and do not turn patients away for an inability to pay. Many, like the Raphael Health Center in Indianapolis, also provide dental, addiction and behavioral counseling explained CEO Dee Roudebush. 

"The whole integrated care is what we’re looking for and expanding into another 5,000 square feet in this building is going to be tremendous in providing us that opportunity," Roudebush said.

The Raphael Health Center is being awarded $1 million.

"So this will allow give us the opportunity to add a couple of physicians and another dentist to be able to increase our capacity to get them in here," Roudebush said. 

She says they will also expand into another 5,000 square feet and build a community kitchen to address healthy food access problems.

The Health and Human Services Agency estimates that statewide these infrastructure grants will help reach an additional 24,000 patients.

The grant is funded through the Affordable Care Act’s Community Health Center Fund. The Indiana health centers receiving grant money are in Gary, Jeffersonville, Indianapolis, Portage, West Lafayette, Merrillville and Clinton.