BURLINGTON, Aug. 11 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced that the federal government designated the Mountain Valley Medical Clinic in Londonderry, Vermont as a new community health center site. The clinic will be part of the Springfield Medical Care Systems community health center network.     

The $262,500 award will allow Mountain Valley Medical Clinic to provide primary care services to almost 3,800 new patients in ten rural communities, none of which are currently served by a Federally Qualified Heath Center. In all, the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced funding for 266 new health center sites around the country today to serve more than 1.2 million patients. The federal funds were authorized by a Sanders provision in the Affordable Care Act that made available $11 billion for community health centers.

“As ranking member of the subcommittee on primary health, I am proud we have seen in recent years a significant increase in the number of community health centers in Vermont and around the country to address the primary health care crisis in the United States,” Sanders said. “I am pleased to see Vermont receive this much-needed award today.”

This year, community health centers in Vermont will serve one in four Vermonters at more than 50 sites across the state. The Mountain Valley Medical Clinic will provide comprehensive primary health care services on a sliding fee scale and low-cost prescription drugs to patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, as well as those who have no insurance.

“Although I am very pleased to see today’s announcement, millions of people across the country still do not have access to the primary care they need. Congress must continue to protect and expand the health center program to ensure access to care in communities still in desperate need of health care services.”