Five more Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Arkansas have been invited by the Biden Administration to participate in the federal COVID-19 vaccine distribution program.
The CHCs selected are:
- ARcare, based in Augusta
- Lee County Cooperative Clinic, based in Marianna
- Jefferson Comprehensive Care System, based in Pine Bluff
- Mainline Health Systems, based in Dermott
- East Arkansas Family Health Center, based in West Memphis
Community Clinic, based in Springdale, was chosen in February as the first CHC in Arkansas to receive COVID-19 vaccines as part of the federal distribution. Community Clinic started administering the vaccine last week.
Details on when the additional CHCs will receive the vaccine and the number of doses available haven't been determined at this time.
The five additional CHCs in Arkansas were among 700 CHCs nationwide that the federal Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) announced Thursday for the program. That brings the number of invited CHC participants to 950. HRSA said the process could take several weeks.
Criteria used to select CHCs for the program include those who serve a high percentage of low-income and minority patients and rural communities.
The CHC distribution of vaccines is in addition to - not subtracting from - the doses sent directly to state government. CHCs will follow state priority guidelines for administering the doses.
Each CHC has multiple clinic sites in its service area.
About: CHCs are non-profit entities fueled by patient revenue and federal grants meant to expand health care access for low-income, minority, and rural populations. CHCs provide many services including primary care, dental, behavioral health, and health education.
Altogether, 12 CHCs in Arkansas serve more than 240,000 people a year at more than 140 sites. Nationally, nearly 1,400 CHCs serve 30 million patients a year.