Albany Area Primary Health Care awarded $5.1 million grant

ALBANY — U.S. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga., announced that Albany Area Primary Health Care Inc. has been awarded a $5,187,269 Health Center Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS Health Resources and Services Administration-funded health centers are community-based, patient-directed organizations that provide affordable, accessible, high-quality primary health care services to individuals and families, regardless of their ability to pay.

“Even though more Americans have access to affordable health care than ever before through the Affordable Care Act, it is also important that people have health centers near where they live in order to get timely care and more easily stick with any treatments they may be prescribed,” Bishop said. “It is often challenging for rural, smaller, and otherwise underserved communities to maintain local health care facilities. That is why I am working hard in Congress to ensure that federal programs and funds are available to support community health centers so that no matter your ZIP code, health care can be close to home.”

“We are so incredibly thankful for Congressman Bishop and this federal grant that helps us fund our Community Health Center,” said Shelley Spires, the chief executive officer of Albany Area Primary Health Care. “It’s with this grant that we fund our organization to launch new services, open new offices and recruit new health care providers to southwest Georgia. It’s also how we ensure that we can care for our patients across 13 counties in the region.

“Without this funding, we would not be able to provide the depth of patient services or care for as many patients as we do each year. As a Community Health Center, we provide critical care for those who need us most — the uninsured and underinsured. Albany Area Primary Health Care is one of the largest Community Health Centers in Georgia and one of the largest medical groups in all of southwest Georgia. This grant definitely has a positive impact on our organization and allows us to expand health care within the communities we serve.”

HHS funds about 1,400 health centers, which run more than 15,000 service sites. They are in all U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia, and can be found in cities, rural areas and everywhere in between. Health centers have been a key part of the nation’s health care system for nearly 60 years. In 2022, health centers served more than 30.5 million people.

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