The U.S. Department of Health and Human services has awarded $27.7 million to community health centers across the state for coronavirus response efforts.
The grant funding goes to 29 Missouri community health centers (CHCs), including Family Health Center in Columbia, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., announced Wednesday in a news release.
Family Health Center received $971,780 to help with staffing needs as well as diagnosing and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the release.
The center was founded in 1992 with the goal of providing primary and preventative care to uninsured and underinsured patients. Family Health Center provides primary medical, mental health and dental care services, according to its website.
"Community health centers are often the first place people go to get health care treatment quickly and close to home,” Blunt said in the release. “Right now, clinics in Missouri are testing for coronavirus, providing telehealth services and treating patients who are fighting this disease."
Missouri's CHCs serve 530,000 patients, with 75% below the poverty line.
Previously, CHCs statewide received $2.1 million in funding from the first coronavirus response bill, and this additional funding brings the total to almost $30 million.