RichardHammond.net

An Iowa health care provider is one of 85 community health centers nationwide to receive a significant monetary boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday.

“… Funding for construction, technology and a medical home demonstration project won’t just save more money, and create more jobs, they’ll give more people the peace of mind of knowing that health care will be there for them and their families when they need it. Ultimately, that’s what health reform is really all about,” Obama said.

Primary Health Care Inc. of Des Moines is slated to receive more than $2.6 million. The nonprofit organization maintains dental and medical clinics in Des Moines as well as a community access pharmacy, HIV services and outreach project. It also operates a medical and dental clinic in Marshalltown.

Although the clinics provide services to patients who have insurance, they specifically cater to those who are uninsured or underinsured. According to their Web site, Primary Health Care Inc. strives “to find and successfully treat medical condition before they become serious enough to require hospitalization or emergency treatment.”

It has also developed several specialized programs.

The Outreach Program specifically targets populations that often fall through the cracks in existing health care.

Health Care for the Homeless is a federally funded program that serves individual, families, street youth and homeless children in a non-traditional clinic setting. A federally-funded program called Enhancement provides mental health and substance abuse care for homeless clients.

The organization has also developed a four-point program for maternal child health that consists of a combination of state and federally-funded programs to provide service to pregnant women, newly expanding families and newborns up to age 6. Their Families in Transition program, which is funded through U.S. Housing and Urban Development, serves both prenatal or parenting families up to a child’s 15th birthday, and allows case workers to link homeless individuals to medical and mental health services as well as affordable and safe living environments.

Clinics that participate in the Outreach Program are located in six different sites throughout Des Moines, placing them within the areas of the community that are experiencing the most need.

To qualify for funding, the health facility had to be a federally-qualified community health center. Grants of $508.5 million were provided through the Facility Investment Program to address pressing health center facility needs. Also, as much as $88 million was made available to help Health Center Controlled Networks improve operational effectiveness and clinical quality in health centers by providing management, financial, technology and clinical support services.

The new Recovery Act funds are the latest in a series of grants awarded to community health centers, which deliver preventive and primary care services nationally at more than 7,500 service delivery sites around the country to patients regardless of their ability to pay.  Across the country health centers serve more than 17 million patients, about 40 percent of whom have no health insurance.

Incoming search terms for the article:

If you were in a fix determining which fitness center is best suited to your fitness needs here are a few tips on deciding which one fits your requirements. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to spend all your hard earned bucks on fancy health clubs or fitness super malls or even buy yourself that expensive treadmill to lose those excess pounds or keep your body in shape.

Many fitness centers in town capitalize on the fact that many people believe that they will be more determined to stick to a fitness routine if they invest some cash in the program. Some fitness centers also sell their weight loss expertise to overweight individuals who lap up the sales talk like a kitten laps up milk. But do they really need to?

A fitness center is basically a place where you will find everything you need to lose weight or keep yourself fit. You do not need all the equipment they have to offer you. So look for a fitness center that has just what you need.

1. Decide what it is you need to meet your fitness targets. If you are into a regime to lose weight you will not need a fitness center that offers only treadmills and a few weights. You need expert advice on dieting as well.

2. Do your research and find which fitness centers are offering the most competitive rates. You will save yourself a few hard earned bucks and get yourself a better deal by researching the market for the best center.

3. Fix a budget and stick to it. Never let a physical fitness instructor or counselor tell you what you need. You fix the price and the plan. Though it is important to have a trained physical instructor guide you do not have to let them take over your fitness regime. A book or two will suffice when it comes to telling the instructor when he or she gets off and lets you decide how much you need to spend to get in shape.

4. Ask for a break-up of what you are paying for. Some fitness centers will offer you pool and sauna facilities and then when you have paid up they will ration you a very little time at the facilities. So make sure you know what you are paying for.

5. Look around. You are entitled to inspect the fitness facility. If you are paying for it you need to inspect it for cleanliness and ventilation. Do not pay if they are restricting you to certain areas. You must also inspect the machines and equipment for proper maintenance as a bad machine could cause you a lot of damage.

There is no such thing as the perfect fitness center. You just have to look for the one that has everything you need and not charging you for the equipment you do not need or are not going to use.

Incoming search terms for the article: