Elkhart, IN—Today, Congressman Joe Donnelly visited Elkhart’s Heart City Health Center (HCHC) to discuss funding that the center will receive as a result of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  HCHC provides affordable health care for uninsured and underinsured adults and children in the Elkhart area.

“It is important that recovery money is being invested in places, like community health centers, that directly benefit people in our community,” Donnelly said. “The funding that HCHC will receive will help meet the increased demand the center has recently seen as a result of the difficult economic times that many residents of the Elkhart area are experiencing. I commend HCHC for its commitment to meeting the needs of the community.”

The Heart City Health Center will receive an Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grant and a Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) grant. The IDS grant, which is for slightly more than $187,000 will allow the health center to continue employing a temporary physician to see patients and to recruit a full-time permanent employee. With the addition of the temporary physician, the clinic has been able to decrease the waiting time for new patients from two months to within 72 hours.  The grant has a two-year duration.

Heart City Health Center will also receive $502,000 as a result of the CIP grant, which will allow them to work with local contractors to add space to the existing health center’s structure. The new space, which the center will break ground on later this month, will add seven examination rooms, which will increase access to timely care. This is also a two-year grant.

"The City of Elkhart is so appreciative of the grants received which will help the Heart City Health Center meet the increased demand for services and allow the facility to expand and become a better institute for healthcare in our area," said Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore who joined Donnelly. “In times like these we recognize how important it is that we come together to help each other."

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