Pee Dee community health centers to get funds

Two Pee Dee community health centers in the 5th Congressional District are receiving funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, U.S. Rep. John Spratt said.

CareSouth Carolina, based in Hartsville, will receive $614,758, while HopeHealth Inc. based in Florence will get $126,933.

“People who lose their health insurance are turning to health centers for care,” Spratt said in a press release. “These funds will help the centers provide care to more patients during this recession, and create or retain health center jobs.”

Health centers deliver preventive and primary care services to patients regardless of their ability to pay; charges for services are set according to income.  Health centers served more than 16 million patients nationwide in 2007, about 40 percent of whom had no health insurance.