Health Services Receive Federal Grant Money

Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS) has received a federal grant of nearly $4.7 million from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This money will expand Sunnyside dental and mental health clinics, open a vision center, and pharmacy. The grant was announced by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on May 1.

Yakima was one of only four building capacity grants made in Washington state and the only such grant made in Central or Eastern Washington. The grant is part of a series of capital investments under the Affordable Care Act for longer-term projects to expand facilities, improve existing services, and serve more patients. An additional four Washington community health centers received funds for facility improvements.

Neighborhood Health will use the grant to significantly expand its Sunnyside clinic by providing:

·    600 additional dental clinic visits

·    Expanded primary medical care, providing 10,000 new primary care visits a year

·    Care to 600 new clients in the behavioral health clinic

·    Care to 1,200 clients in the new vision center

·    A new pharmacy to serve lower Yakima Valley clients

“Community health centers like Yakima Neighborhood Health Services are the major source of care that ranges from prevention to treatment of chronic diseases,” said YNHS CEO Anita Monoian. “This investment will expand our ability to provide high-quality care to people across the Yakima Valley while supporting employment in good-paying jobs in our clinics.”