MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC) today recognized the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Commissioner, Jan Malcolm, as its 2021 Community Health Center Champion. As part of MNACHC’s annual conference, the award recognizes Commissioner Malcolm’s support of Minnesota’s 17 non-profit Community Health Centers that serve nearly 200,000 low-income Minnesotans statewide.
MNACHC commends Commissioner Malcolm’s unwavering support of Community Health Centers during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “In partnership with Commissioner Malcolm and her staff, the non-profit, safety net Community Health Centers throughout Minnesota were able to provide more than 170,000 Covid-19 vaccines to vulnerable Minnesotans,” said Rochelle Westlund, Director of Public Policy with MNACHC. “With the Commissioner’s support, Community Health Centers had access to these life-saving vaccines for the patients they serve.”
Minnesota’s Health Centers serve the state’s low-income population in both rural areas and inner-city neighborhoods, and the pandemic disproportionately impacts these patients, whose Covid-19 positivity rates have climbed, at times, to more than 60 percent.
During the last year, Commissioner Malcolm and Minnesota’s Department of Health provided financial resources to the State’s network of Community Health Centers to partner with community-based organizations to further expand Covid-19 testing and vaccinations.
“This award is shared with everyone in public health and with our community clinic partners who have been there for Minnesotans at every step of this pandemic,” said MDH Commissioner Malcolm. “We know some of the worst impacts of Covid-19 have hit those who were already facing challenges before the pandemic. That is why it has been so important and so gratifying to have strong community partners helping us provide the support and services that can make a difference.”
The Community Health Center Champion award is part of the 16th annual “Many Faces of Community Health” Conference on November 4th and 5th. The Conference explores ways to improve care and health equity in under-served populations and among those living in poverty. The conference brings information and resources on chronic disease prevention and care, public policy, and health innovations to Minnesota's health care community, focusing on safety net providers.
About Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers
The Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers (MNACHC) is a non-profit membership organization of Minnesota’s 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The FQHCs provide preventive medical, mental health, and dental services to nearly 200,000 low-income Minnesotans throughout the state. MNACHC works on behalf of its members and their patients to promote the cost-effective delivery of affordable, quality primary health care services, with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of low-income and medically underserved populations.
