Northeast Valley Health Corporation hosted Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon for a tour of the non-profit’s newest health center in Santa Clarita which was funded in part by federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Capital Improvement Program funding.

The health center opened its doors last summer and is one of 13 health centers operated by NEVHC, a non-profit, federally funded, community health center serving the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys.

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The Santa Clarita Health Center is currently open full time and offers pediatric and women’s health services in addition to the Women Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental nutrition services. The Health Center was opened to relieve the growing demand for services at the NEVHC Valencia Health Center.

“We are operating Monday through Friday and four nights a week at the Valencia Health Center. Our exam rooms are full time busy and we are projecting to provide 30,000 patients visits at our Valencia Health Center this year. A second location seemed to be the best answer to the space crunch,” explained Kimberly Wyard, NEVHC CEO.

The Santa Clarita Health center was projected to provide over 8,000 visits in 2011. Plans to begin adult services in April were delayed when Congress was forced to cut the federal budget to address the national deficit and a promised federal grant that would have funded the expansion of adult services for Santa Clarita did not materialize.

“We are continuing our fund raising efforts and hope to add prenatal care and adult services later this summer,” Wyard said. Funding for the Santa Clarita Health Center has come from a variety of donors including LA Care Health Plan, the California Community Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and The Kenneth T. Eileen L. Norris Foundation. Wyard and Congressman McKeon discussed looming federal spending cuts to Medicare/Medicaid and funding for community health centers. Community health centers are challenged to continue vital services, while facing funding reductions at both the state and federal level.

Recently, NEVHC has also embarked on a new collaboration with Facey Medical for deliveries at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. This partnership enables NEVHC to offer quality pre-natal care services to the community in addition to eliminating the patient’s previous travel time to San Fernando Valley for the delivery, making care more accessible and safer for both mother and child.

About Northeast Valley Health Corporation

NEVHC is a private non-profit community health center that provides comprehensive health services to the medically uninsured and underserved residents of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. Programs and services include Dental, Pharmacy, Radiology, Women’s Health and Prenatal Services, Pediatric Services, Immunizations, Case Management and the Women’s, Infant and Children’s (WIC) nutrition and breastfeeding program.

Santa Clarita Health Center hours:

Mon, Wed, Thu: 8 AM-5 PM, Tue: 8 AM-9PM, Fri: 9 AM-5 PM