WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to expand quality health care services to the Providence community, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined Merrill Thomas, CEO and Executive Director of Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC), and PCHC patients and staff to announce that the organization will receive $241,000 in federal funding to move its Allen Berry clinic to a new location in South Providence. Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, worked with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to secure funding for PCHC in the 2008 Appropriations bill. In conjunction with a recent $400,000 federal Brownfields grant, PCHC will use this funding to construct a new 60,000 square foot health center facility for South Providence residents at 369 Prairie Avenue. The Allen Berry clinic is currently operating out of a smaller, rented facility. This expansion will allow the clinic to assist more residents and add services.

"Fixing the health care system is important for everyone. This is a smart investment of federal resources that will save taxpayers money in the long run and ensure that more Rhode Islanders have access to quality, preventative care," said Reed. "Not all of the clients who go to PCHC have health insurance, but everyone who comes through their doors gets the medical attention, care, and respect they deserve. I am pleased to have secured this funding, and I applaud the outstanding doctors, nurses, and administrators here at Providence Community Health Centers who continue to help make our community a better and healthier place."

"Providence Community Health Centers is a lifeline for Rhode Island families who need health care they can afford - and health care providers they can count on," said Whitehouse. "This new facility will help improve access to badly-needed primary and preventative care in Providence, improving the quality of our health care system, and, ultimately, helping save money and lower health care costs."

Providence Community Health Centers was established in 1968 and provides primary health services including prenatal care, pediatrics, adolescent medicine, adult medicine, and senior care to more than 35,000 patients at five health clinics around the city. The organization also operates a school-based program and a dental clinic among its many programs. It is the largest provider of the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) nutrition program in Rhode Island with 6,500 participants.

"We are very thankful for Senator Reed's role in securing this funding for the Providence Community Health Centers new health center project. His continued support for Rhode Islanders' health care is plainly evidenced not only this funding support, but also by his national leadership on the SCHIP issue where his actions made an impact on the health of families across the entire nation," stated Merrill Thomas, CEO and Executive Director of Providence Community Health Centers. "The impact of the this funding in our community will be multiplied many times over as we develop the old Federated Lithographers site turned from its current run down state into a new health center as well as site renovations that will be the catalyst for additional community investment and redevelopment."

The location of the new PCHC clinic was originally used to construct metalworking machine tools, manufacture cans, and print books. The $400,000 Brownfields award will be used to remove and dispose of contaminated soil, conduct groundwater monitoring, and support community involvement activities. In 2002, Senator Reed helped pass legislation that made this federal funding possible.

"Not only will this federal investment help protect the health and well being of residents and the environment, but it will generate job growth, increase surrounding property values, and strengthen the local economy," concluded Reed.

The new PCHC clinic will be part of a larger state-of-the-art urban industrial park that is also expected to provide commercial and retail operations as well as green-space and create sustainable jobs for local residents.